Toxic
by Vandi
Summary: Grief seeds are known as a treasure earned by defeating a Witch. With it, one can cleanse their soul gems, and be strong enough to handle their next battles. But what if the cleansing sensation were to go to one's head? When Sakura Kyouko is left with nothing but the burden of a magical girl, she turns to the aid of grief seeds to help ease her tormented mind. Will that be enough?
1. Chapter 1: Exposure

A shaky, ragged breath resounded through the snowy skies.

There, down on the ground lay the blonde, forever in a cold sleep, blood pouring from her fair-skinned neck; gold eyes lifeless, silent tears streaming down her cold cheeks. The snow landed gently on Tomoe Mami's school-uniform clad corpse, no longer melting upon touch now that the magical girl was no longer emitting body heat. The weapon that did her in, the sharp blade of the spear, dragged noisily along the concrete as its wielder, the redhead bathed in her victim's blood, stepped back in shock. A shimmer of topaz caught her eye; the remains of the blonde's source of power.

"Mami…san…" She breathed out, staring with wide, shaking eyes at the blonde who had been her mentor, her friend…her sister. What had she done?! Scarlet eyes trailed unblinking at the crimson pouring from the senior's neck, still registering that it was, in fact, her that had done Tomoe Mami in. Any more damage and the girl's neck would have been completely detached from her shoulders. "I didn't mean for…why did I…" The words caught in her throat, a sob threatening to slip out.

She could vaguely recall, in the midst of the snowy night, that she had promised no mercy toward the older girl. It was dangerous for them to work together since their ideals had clashed. Sakura Kyouko no longer had the luxury to hunt down familiars alongside witches. In fact, she had stated to her mentor that it was a better idea to let the familiars evolve into witches, and create more grief seeds.

Grief seeds…

When the Ice Witch had come close to killing her, she thought that it would be all over for her. If she hadn't created a shield as a last resort, she would have surely been done for. Back then, as she lay numb in the snow, it appeared that the grief seed she obtained from the lucky kill was her only solace.

" _Once you rejected your wish, you rejected the power that came alongside it. In this condition, your battles are going to be much more difficult from here on out…"_

If what Kyuubey said before was true, she was now a faulty magical girl. She couldn't use her magic to save her mentor, nor could she use it to save herself. So what else did she have going for her; her uncanny knack for survival? And how did she always manage to survive in these dire times?

Why, she went out and hunted for food, just as an animal might!

Her grip tightened on the spear's shaft as she slowly, cautiously took another step back, her expression darkening as she shut off all compassion she'd once had for her remaining family.

Tomoe Mami had been an obstacle; plain and simple. Animals would always kill each other in a moment of urgency, even their own kin. If it came to killing or being killed in the wild, one would always choose survival. That's how it worked there, and that's how it worked here. A cruel smirk made its way to the redhead's lips. "You were a fool, Tomoe Mami…" She spat out, her breath still shaky, yet her composure was eerily calm. "Can I help it? After all, grief seeds don't exactly grow on trees." At her snide remark, she heard the pitter-pattering of paws behind her, causing her to whip around, eyes narrowed with mistrust. Oh, she thought as she glanced down at the creature, it's just the creature that caused all her suffering in the first place. "Whoops. Sorry about that, Kyuubey." She sneered at the creature, removing the scarlet attire she donned, reappearing in the winter coat and shorts with worn sneakers she normally wore, coated with her old blood instead of her mentor's, save for the speckles of crimson on her face. "I went and killed one of your tools. Guess grief seeds aren't gonna be in as high demand as they would've been, hmm?"

"Indeed." The creature responded, blinking in surprise at the spectacle before it. But on the other hand, this shouldn't have come across as a surprise to the cat-like creature. After all, it was common for magical girls to hunt each other down for the sake of grief seed supply. Sakura Kyouko was no different. "This does mean that you will be on your own when hunting down witches, of course. And as I had previously stated, with your current magic situation your battles will be quite difficult from here on out." A soft cackle escaped the redhead's lips. "See if I care! I'll get stronger in time. In the meantime, all those grief seeds are mine for the taking!" She glanced down at the soul gem located on her finger. Although she'd cleansed it not too long ago, a dark swirl was beginning to gather up in it. She didn't like it. "And speaking of…" She murmured in irritation, scarlet brows furrowing at the sight. "I'd best get this cleaned. Don't want to grow too sluggish, right?" Kyuubey nodded in agreement. "You are correct. The key to being a strong magical girl is to have a clean soul gem."

The redhead stared into the dark swirl for a moment more; just for a moment, a look of uncertainty flitted across her features before she glanced back up, eyes cold and emotionless once more as she shoved her hands in her pockets, trudging down the path as she made her way out of the murder scene. It wouldn't have been good to be seen by anyone, after all. In retrospect, she noted, she probably should've thought to kill Tomoe Mami in a witch's barrier; less evidence, plus it would make the grief seed stronger.

 **Oh, well. No point in regretting that now. There's bigger stuff to fry.**

She stopped short, raising a hand to her head, eyes shaking in confusion. Did she just…hear something? A moment of silence passed, with no incident. Assuming she had just imagined it, Kyouko continued down the path, reaching up and pulling the worn hood over her head to protect herself from the bitter cold. She wanted to tell herself that she didn't mean to kill Mami. She wanted to say that the corruption in her soul gem was simply going to her head. But that didn't excuse what she did. Now, she truly was alone, with no family. "And no competition, either…" She hissed, reminding herself before shaking her head fervently. She needed a grief seed; that much was certain. She was never herself without a grief seed.

The magical signature coursing through the air picked up through her soul gem, pulsating softly, signaling the direction of the barrier. The blood-soaked girl grinned with delight; sharp fangs making her appear more predatory. "One grief seed…coming right up!" She quickly dashed towards the barrier, lunging into its realm with no hesitation. She could sense its power; it was a pretty strong one. As a magical girl that was still regaining her ability of combat, it probably wasn't the best fight for her to be picking. But there was a grief seed; a strong one. That alone was enough to motivate her.

It didn't take long to find the witch; the labyrinth itself hadn't been that large, and she wasted no time with the familiars, ducking expertly around corners until she sensed the dark aura of the labyrinth's creator. Licking her lips in anticipation, the redhead donned her scarlet magical girl attire, the familiar spear manifesting in her hand. Once finished, she stepped cautiously from around the corner, eyeing the witch with wary scarlet pools.

 **Who cares about caution? That's a grief seed!**

She grit her teeth, eyes widening into a more feral appearance as she took on a battle stance, spear at the ready. She didn't really know how she was going to take down the witch with only a spear and some shaky defense magic she'd manage to scrape together, but what choice did she have? Her soul gem was in bad condition; if she didn't do anything, she'd die! Throwing caution to the wind, she lunged forward with the spear as she let out a battle cry, lodging its blade into the creature's side. It looked a bit like an octopus, the redhead vaguely noted amidst the bloodlust. The creature roared out in pain, throwing its tentacles towards her and taking hold of her in its grasp, slamming her into the wall, dislodging the spear's blade in the process. "GUAHH!" The redhead cried out in pain from the impact, her spear held loosely in her grip as she recovered. What could she do? The barrier move she'd done on that Ice Witch before might help her out of immediate danger, but how was she supposed to take down the witch overall? Her spear may have been more dangerous when there was more than one of her, but she'd lost that power. She was useless.

 **Don't think. Act! Let the animal inside you out, idiot!**

The redhead stopped short again, expression darkening. Right; she had never been one for strategy. She'd always acted on instinct. This time would be no different. Glancing down at the spear by her side, she noted how strong and solid it looked hanging from her grip, as if it would never break under the most strenuous of circumstances.

Just like her foundation: That so long as her Father was happy, she could handle any rough spots.

A grim sneer made its way to her face as her lithe figure emanated a deep scarlet glow; diamond shapes linked together, forcing the witch back and away from her. The creature cried out in pain from the defense attack, retracting its tentacles as it proceeded to nurse its wounds. None of the familiars seemed to care one way or the other about what happened to the witch, going about their own business as their master cried for help. "Tch, pathetic." The redhead quipped, swinging the spear's shaft around like a baton before holding it steady. It felt strong, yes…but just like her foundation, it felt shaky. As if…with any wrong movement, it could come apart. Pulling experimentally on both sides of the handle, the shaft came apart into segments, startling the redhead as she stared in disbelief, looking over her transformed weapon. "…Things aren't as they seem…" She mused softly, giving an experimental whip; the blade swung with force into the witch. The piercing cries of agony sent shivers down the magical girl's spine, a morbid sense of delight she never thought she'd feel. The bloodlust was always there in battle, but for it to be so strong… "That's it, monster." She grinned maliciously, pulling the spear-whip back towards herself, eyes wide with a sick sense of excitement. "Just hand over your grief seed! We both know how this will end!" As if in protest, another tentacle shot out towards her, causing her to quickly jump out of the way, all her natural senses peaked. "Oh, wanna play it that way?! Well, I can play hard, too!" She leapt up into the air, spear-whip at the ready as she swung blow after blow at the creature, leaving it helpless against her ruthlessness.

Slowly, Kyouko noted, she had begun to lose sight of everything around her. She could still hear the cries for mercy in the back of her mind, yet nothing was in focus. All she could sense was that, for once ever since the tragedy…

She felt alive.

Holding the grief seed deftly in her hand, Kyouko rolled it around along her fingers for a moment, staring into its obsidian shell before bringing her other hand against it, draining the corruption from the soul gem and returning it to its original fire-red glow. Releasing a heavy sigh, the redhead threw her head back against the wall of the alleyway, taking in everything around her. She could feel. It seemed to be just for a moment, but the numbness that had suffocated her had passed. She could feel the cold biting at her exposed fingers, could feel the exhaustion seeping into her system, and she knew she was in pain.

Every time…

Every time she would cleanse her soul gem, even if for a brief moment before she grew corrupted again, she felt alive and full of energy. She needed to feel it more; that sensation of strength and empowerment.

She needed more grief seeds, or else she would grow numb again. She hated the feeling of going numb. She hated that feeling of helplessness. This time, she would be the one to strike out; this time, she would be the predator, not the prey.

 **With grief seeds, you can easily conquer! This whole city is your playground.**

Conquer? She didn't want to conquer. She just wanted to survive. Even in dealing with competition, all she'd wanted really was to steer clear of them, and fight on her own.

 **But where there's competition, there's bound to be grief seeds. And with grief seeds, you don't have to feel numb anymore!**

That's right…she didn't want to feel numb. She was tired of that bitter sensation. It would be much better if she'd just lived as an animal, and not worry about pesky human emotions to drag her down. She was the hunter, and she lived for the hunt! Tossing the used up grief seed to the side where she knew the cat-like creature was lurking, she straightened herself up before continuing in a stride down the sidewalk. She needed food.

And after all, grief seeds were food, right?

* * *

Far off in the distance, yet not too far, a fair-skinned hand reached weakly out toward air as topaz remains disappeared from sight, reappearing on the figure's shaky finger. Tomoe Mami gurgled weakly, the wound in her neck still a danger to her overall health. "K-Kyou…ko…" She whispered with a raspy breath, slowly rising to a sitting position, gold eyes shaking as the blonde stared off into the horizon. "W…Why would you…"

Unbeknownst to her, the once-topaz jewel on her ring had been reduced to a murky brown, the corruption rising along with her sorrow. The black mist swirled ominously, a warning of the danger soon to come as the girl cried out in betrayal, a dark aura surrounding her soul gem completely as it formed the makings of another realm.

One year later…

* * *

"Here, please introduce yourself!"

The petite schoolteacher chirped cheerily to the new transfer student, a long-haired raven girl with pale skin and piercing royal-blue eyes. She stood in front of the class, noting how they eyed her like some new attraction. The transfer student swept her eyes along the classroom with a calm, almost vacant expression before she straightened up, preparing to introduce herself. "My name is Akemi Homura. It's a pleasure to meet you all." She gave a polite bow before straightening up again, everyone's eyes still on her.

Of course, she knew this experience. She'd already gone through it countless times, each slightly less suffocating than the last one was. She seemed to be growing used to the daunting gazes the class displayed, which was both a relief and a chore; she couldn't believe it, but at times Homura was actually starting to miss the times when she would shy away from the other students. Now they were nothing but background objects.

It was the beginning of April again, as it always was when Akemi Homura awoke in a new timeline. As per usual she would cast off her old self, preparing for the inevitable fight at the end of the month as she stocked up on the military's artillery. Now, here she was again, playing the role of the new girl in school. What had started out overwhelming now felt like nothing more than routine.

She swept her eyes across the classroom once more until her eyes rested on a particular individual; a petite rose-eyed girl with pink hair held up by red ribbons into puppy tails. The girl flinched and shied away when she sensed Homura's gaze on her. Good, it didn't seem like Madoka was showing any recollection of her. She glanced back over to the rest of the classroom, taking in her environment once more before she made for her seat in the front.

If she'd stopped to linger on the pink-haired girl a little longer, she would have recognized a familiar ring on her finger. Kaname Madoka fidgeted nervously in her seat, glancing warily at the raven-haired girl in the front. 'Why?' She thought to herself before glancing over to her blue-haired friend just a little ways over. 'Why was she staring at me? And why did she look so familiar?' She stared at her friend a few minutes longer before class officially started, at which point she quickly readjusted herself to face the front of the classroom, her full attention on the subject.

"What school did you go to before?"

"A catholic school in Tokyo."

"Were you part of any clubs or activities there?"

"Not particularly."

"Your hair is so silky and beautiful! What type of shampoo do you use?"

Lunchtime, again. It was always the same questions, each timeline. Akemi Homura sat neat and proper in her place, listening to the background girls prattle on with their questions, as they'd always done. It would soon be time for her to approach Madoka, however, she noted as she glanced sidelong at the pink-haired girl, watching as she conversed with her blue-haired and green-haired friends.

"I'm sorry, my head feels a little fuzzy…could I get the nurse's aide to assist me to the nurse's office?" The raven-haired girl rose from her seat, stepping past the crowd of middle-school girls without another word, making her way over to the pink-haired girl she intended to speak with. "Kaname Madoka," She commanded the shorter girl, staring down at her as if she were preparing to interrogate the second-year. "I need you to accompany me." Rose eyes blinked in surprise as Madoka straightened up in her seat, clearly flustered at being approached so soon. "Eh! Ah, um, okay…" The pink-haired girl rose from her seat, stepping away from her friends and out into the long halls with the new transfer student.

As they rounded the corner leading down the long halls of the corridor, Kaname Madoka watched the student leading her – why was she doing that if she was supposed to be the one led? – with suspicion. She was a magical girl; that much the pink-haired girl could sense. And even if she hadn't learned to sense magical signatures from other girls, the ring on the raven-haired girl's finger gave her away. What did she want? Did she plan to take care of the competition in the area? As the raven-haired girl came to a stop, Madoka stood her ground, lips pursed in anticipation.

She was quiet, Homura noted with concern. Normally Madoka would be attempting to make conversation, yet this time around she was eerily quiet. Turning on her heel, Homura looked back at the pink-haired girl, royal blue eyes scanning her for any change. What was causing the difference this time around?

"Excuse me…" Pink eyes narrowed in concern. "Is there something that you want with me? You don't really need to go to the nurse's office, do you?" Madoka stepped back a couple steps. She never expected to run into a challenger in school, of all places! "Are you…one of us?" Homura frowned in confusion. What did Madoka mean by 'one of us'? "That depends on your definition," The raven-haired girl replied calmly, not allowing any emotion to show through. Madoka's frown deepened. So she intended to make HER speak out, did she? "Are you an ally?" She asked cautiously, glancing toward the outside displayed from the glass window. "Or…are you an enemy?" She could sense eyes on her. She knew she was being watched.

"What are you implying, Kaname Madoka?" Homura tilted her head to the side, genuinely confused about what the shorter girl was going on about. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific than that." The pink-haired girl grit her teeth; this new girl was dead set on playing ignorant. "Where…did you get my name?" Had this girl already been staking out the competition? Was it possible she was even working with the other one? "What do you want with me?"

Homura's frown deepened. Something was really different about the pink-haired girl. She was more…suspicious. That was highly unusual, whatever the timeline. "Saotome-sensei told me, when she told me you were the nurse's aide…was there some other reason that I would find out your name? I don't quite understand what it is that you are implying." Madoka nodded slowly, taking in the information. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe it was coincidence that the other girl was a magical girl, and she wasn't a danger. "…Sorry, Akemi-san." She smiled apologetically, as if a switch had been flipped. "I guess I've just been a little restless lately; what with studies and my nurse's aide duties." She giggled nervously, scratching the back of her head.

"…Homura is fine." The raven-haired girl watched her warily. That moment of suspicion…what warranted that? What was so different this time around that would cause Madoka of all people to approach someone with caution? "And it's fine, I perfectly understand. I'm the new girl at school, after all." Madoka's smile widened, almost as if it was forced. "O-Of course…Homura-chan, then. I hope we can become good friends." Royal-blue pools shook with uncertainty. It sounded like Madoka meant those words, but…it felt like she was alienating her, at the same time. "Yes...I hope we can become friends, as well." The pink-haired girl nodded, stepping along after the girl. "So…d-did you really need to go to the nurse's office? Because if so, we're actually heading the opposite direction." She giggled, causing the raven-haired girl to fight back a blush of embarrassment as she continued walking. "You've got me. I mainly just wanted to get away from the crowd."

This Madoka…was surprisingly more perceptive.

* * *

"Hnn…" Scarlet eyes peered through binoculars, taking in the interior of the school corridor, easily spotted through glass windows. "So, it looks like we've got even more competition on our hands…"

"This one is truly an irregular." Red, beady eyes stared at the horizon, a white paw scratching an itch as its fluffy tail swished lackadaisically behind it. "I do not recall ever contracting her." Scarlet locks swished back as a shadowed-out female glanced back at the creature, her expression unreadable. "Wow, so not only competition…but a mystery?" Sharp fangs glinted in the sunlight. "I love a good mystery! All the excitement and thrill…not to mention there's always a good chance of violence." Brown boots turned on its heel, the female stepping away from the binoculars, allowing them to revert back into its regular form as opposed to the enchanted upgrade it had prior. "That Kaname Madoka has been interesting enough; truly a good challenge. But now…" She fingered a flower-shaped grief seed in her hand, oblivious to its source as she placed it back in her pocket.

"Now we've got some new fish to fry!"

* * *

 **A/N: And so, here we start.**

 **Homura has entered into a most dangerous timeline, indeed. It seems that Madoka's already really on edge, plus she's already contracted, as Homura will quickly discover later. And what of Kyouko? What will happen to her and her obsession? And will she ever discover the origin of the flower grief seed? What will it do?  
**

 **We will see what the future holds for the girls.**

 **As always, comments and suggestions are accepted and loved. If you have an idea you want to run by me, I would love to hear it.**

 **See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Symptoms

"The transfer student?"

Miki Sayaka blinked with surprise, and a bit of concern, at her childhood friend. Ever since Madoka had gone to take the new girl to the nurse's office, she seemed on edge. "You think she's a Magical Girl?" Madoka nodded slowly, expression cautious. "Yes. Although, it doesn't seem like she's realized what I am." She fidgeted with the ring around her finger, glancing out the restaurant window. "I can't quite tell what her motive is, exactly, but it feels like she has something in mind…" Rose eyes narrowed suspiciously. "In any case, I'll have to ask you to keep your guard up, Sayaka-chan." The blue haired girl, sitting across the table from her, nodded in understanding, a look of seriousness on her features. "I got it. You're afraid she might be like that other one, aren't you?" She pursed her lips, azure pools shaking with uncertainty. "But, Madoka…are you sure you don't want me to join you in this battle? I mean, with both of us there…"

"No, Sayaka-chan!" Madoka gently slammed her palms against the table. "If you do that, she'll target you too!" She sighed, shaking her head slowly. "Besides…I want you to be able to think long and hard about your wish. I may not regret the wish I made…" She looked up at the taller girl. "But I do wish I'd had more time to think it through." The blue-haired friend frowned, eyes narrowed as she thought back to the moment in time they'd first encountered the Magical Girl world.

If she hadn't insisted on taking that shortcut…

" _Hey, Madoka!" Sayaka called out, catching the younger girl's attention. Madoka stepped lightly over to her friend's side, eyes wide with curiosity. "What is it, Sayaka-chan?" She glanced back toward the sign stating the direction of the detour before looking back at her friend. Sayaka grinned a wide grin, pointing down a path just off to the side, leading down an alleyway. "This goes the same way as the usual path, doesn't it? We wouldn't have to worry about getting home later thanks to the roundabout way of that detour!" Madoka frowned with concern, glancing down the alley. "I don't know, Sayaka-chan…do you think it's safe?" There were dangerous people lurking around alleyways, after all. Sayaka pounded her fist against her chest. "Don't worry about it! If we run into any shady individuals, I'll protect you! Come on; we don't want to be home late, do we?" Madoka nodded slowly, stepping cautiously over to her taller friend. "W-Well, if you think it's okay…"_

Sayaka should have been the one to contract. She should have been the one to protect them against those monsters. And yet, when it came down to it…

" _W-What are these things?!" Sayaka cried out in fear and alarm, stepping back at the sight of the fuzzy creatures with moustaches. They seemed to be shouting some sort of foreign chant. Madoka stepped back as well, until her back met with her friend's, the two of them staring wide-eyed at the creatures around them. Slowly the fuzzy creatures made their way closer, manifesting strange scissors, snipping at the air menacingly. The chanting never ceased; the girls huddled against each other, fearing for dear life._

" _Oh, dear." A child-like voice resounded from the distance. "This won't do. At this rate, you'll die unless you make a wish."_

" _A-A wish?!" Sayaka stuttered, trying her best to keep her cool. "What the heck is a wish supposed to do in this situation!?" This wasn't real, right? They were just having a terrible nightmare, right? Madoka's eyes widened for an instant, before she stood firm, lips trembling yet her eyes resolute. "Sayaka-chan…stay here." She requested in a strangely calm voice, holding her hands close to her chest. All of a sudden, a bright pink light shone from the girl's small figure, blinding Sayaka with its brilliance and forcing her to shield her eyes._

 _When she next opened them…pink fiery arrows were raining down, taking out the fuzzy creatures one by one. She scanned the surroundings for her pink-haired friend, confusion and worry on her young features. Finally, a flash of rose caught her attention, and she whipped her head quickly around to face its source. The sight before her took her breath away. There in the distance…donning a strange poofy pink dress with a cream-colored bodice, sporting a bow-like object…was Madoka. Her ruby-red heels clicked against the floor as she landed from an inhuman leap, staring down the last of the fuzzy creatures with a fire of determination that Sayaka had never before seen from the shorter girl. "Ma…Madoka?!" She breathed out in disbelief, finding herself rooted in place, staring at the scene before her._

 _A soft breath escaped the pink-haired girl's lips as she aimed her sights, the fiery arrow burning bright and true. She pursed her lips, straightened her stance, and released the arrow, allowing it to plunge into the last of the creatures, taking them all down in one breath._

 _Soon after, the strange landscape around them dissipated._

It still bothered Sayaka that, despite her claim of being the one to protect Madoka from any dangers, in the end it was Madoka who protected her. "I'm thinking about my wish, Madoka." She nodded slowly, contemplation on her face. "And, I think I know what it is I want to wish for." Madoka smiled softly before standing up from the booth, gathering up the trash onto her empty tray. "I'm glad you're starting to get an idea, Sayaka-chan…but I want you to make that wish for you, not for me." Her smile widened just the tiniest bit, puppy tails bouncing with a tilt of her head. "I can take care of the battles just fine on my own, for now. There's no need to rush." The blue-haired girl nodded in acknowledgement, staring down at her barely eaten hamburger. Somehow, all this talk about Madoka dealing with so many ordeals on her own was making her lose her appetite.

The shorter girl stepped near the entrance of the restaurant, clearing out the trash and putting the tray away before making her way out into the street, her expression calm and serious. She could sense that girl watching before. She needed to take care of her before she tried hurting anyone else. Normally, she didn't have it in herself to try to harm others, but in this case she had a duty.

If she didn't protect the people of Mitakihara, who would?

* * *

"That's strange…" Homura mused in concern, glancing left and right, stepping lightly through the place she knew Gertrude's familiars would surely be. Yet, try as she might, she didn't sense them anywhere. Was this an anomaly? Were they stationed somewhere else in this timeline? "But more importantly," She noted as she proceeded through the basement of the mall, "I haven't seen any sign of Tomoe Mami anywhere. First Madoka's strange behavior, then Tomoe Mami's disappearance…" She stopped short, staring down at the textured ground, fists clenched. "What is going on here…? Is there a piece of the puzzle I'm missing?"

Miki Sayaka seemed to appear the same, if not a little wary herself; but then, the blue-haired girl was always wary about people she wasn't sure she could trust. In all honesty, Homura couldn't see anything different with that girl. The main problem was Madoka. What did she mean when she said 'one of us'? There was a small part of Homura that had an idea about what she meant, but she wasn't willing to accept that possibility yet. After all…that would've meant her mission had failed before it even began! "Perhaps there's…some sort of dangerous club she's gotten involved in at school, and she…" Oh, who was she kidding? It was plainly obvious that Madoka was referring to the Magical Girl system. But why? Why so early? Homura had even begun school a week earlier so that she could catch Madoka before she contracted!

Did it have something to do with Tomoe Mami's disappearance?

Royal-blue eyes hardened and she stood firm, stance alert. Someone was following her. Carefully, she brought her shield to her hand, preparing to turn it at any sign of trouble. Was it Tomoe Mami?

Without another moment to spare, she quickly leapt from her position. Something protruded from the ground right where she originally was; the crimson blade of a spear, it almost looked like, Homura noted as she landed deftly to the ground, heels clicking against the surface. She pursed her lips, glancing left and right for any sign of her assailant. The attack had been swift. She'd barely had the time to sense it before leaping out of the way, much less have time to turn her shield.

"Wow, you're pretty quick on your feet, aren't you?" A high voice resounded behind her; one Homura hadn't expected to hear in this city for at least another week. She turned on her heel with quick precision, eyes alert as she caught sight of the silhouette standing right by one of the columns supporting the building's foundation. "You…what are you doing here?" The raven-haired girl stepped back just slightly, one eye on the spot where the blade once was, watching it vanish into a scarlet wisp. She quickly looked back at the silhouette, only to find that it wasn't standing there anymore. Something brushed her shoulder, causing her to turn the other way in alarm, her firm stance wavering. She hadn't received a chill from another Magical Girl in a long time.

"Obviously, I hunt here." Scarlet locks caught the raven-haired girl's attention, drawing her sight to the slightly shorter girl standing a couple feet away, arms crossed; an amused smile was affixed to her soft features. "What are YOU doing here? I've never seen you around these parts." Scarlet eyes glinted dangerously as she shifted from crossing her arms to shoving her hands in her hoodie pocket. "Intruding on other people's turf, now are we?" Homura watched the redhead before her with caution. This wasn't how she wanted it to go at all. She was supposed to be the one to startle the redhead, impressing her and getting her to think about teaming up against Walpurgisnacht. In this scenario, she herself was on the defensive. Nevertheless, Homura attempted to maintain her cool composure. "I just moved here. And if you're worried about me taking all the witches, you're mistaken. I only have one goal in mind." She didn't like to speed up the process of the proposal so soon, but she needed to get the girl on her side.

"Oh?" The redhead tilted her head just slightly to the side, staring down the raven-haired stranger in front of her. "And what's this one goal?" She wasn't ready to trust the girl yet; every Magical Girl went after her grief seeds. It was the nature of Magical Girls, after all; they would die otherwise. Still, this slightly taller individual intrigued Kyouko. Homura took an inaudible breath; good, it looked like she'd removed the idea of the redhead skewering her with the spear's blade from the girl's mind. "At the end of this month, a fearsome foe known as Walpurgisnacht will appear, and destroy the town. I aim to be able to stop this colossal witch." Kyouko stepped back in surprise and disbelief, her composure broken for just a moment before she stood firm again, her eyes darkening with suspicion. "Walpurgisnacht…how do you know about that?"

It wouldn't be good to reveal her brand of magic to the redhead, but at the same time she wasn't sure if this Sakura Kyouko would accept her usual reason. "That's my business." Homura concluded finally, brushing her hand dramatically through her raven locks. The redhead remained unimpressed with her answer; she shifted the weight of her lithe figure onto her other leg, eyes narrowing. "Oh, really? Is that what you tell everyone you're trying to earn the trust of?" A wicked fang protruded from her mouth as she flashed a dangerous grin at the raven-haired girl. "Still, you amuse me for now. So, why are you telling me all about your goal then?" Homura pursed her lips, royal-blue pools shifting uneasily to the side. Even when cautiously friendly, somehow the redhead still sent chills down her spine. She quickly composed herself; it wouldn't do to try to recruit the shorter girl when Homura was visibly intimidated. She had to remain calm. "Its power is too strong for just one Magical Girl to face alone. I require your experience and skill in taking down this witch when she appears."

"Oh?" Scarlet eyes piqued with interest as Kyouko straightened up, staring into royal-blue pools, assessing her strength. "And what's in it for me?" Better yet, why was she trying to recruit Kyouko when there was another Magical Girl who was drowning enough in justice that she'd be all over the idea of sacrificing safety for the sake of others? Well, if the raven-haired girl would rather choose an ally that would want compensation, then that was her problem. "I'm not gonna even think about the idea of risking my neck out there without something valuable in return, after all."

"I'll hand over the territory of Mitakihara to you." Homura offered, doing her best to maintain her cool. The raise of the eyebrow from Kyouko at her offer didn't help her nerves. "Nice try, but I already own this territory. You guys are the ones trekking around without my say-so. Got anything better?" Homura prepared another offer when she stopped short. "Hang on…did you just say 'you guys'?" The redhead rolled her eyes at the girl's confusion. "Uh, yeah? What, you don't sense the annoying Magical Girl bounding about the city right now?" Homura frowned in confusion. "Are you talking about Tomoe Mami? She would be the primary territory-holder." That seemed to strike a nerve in the redhead. Kyouko squared her shoulders, standing firm and tall over the raven-haired girl, so it almost looked like she towered over her. "Listen here, rookie. Tomoe Mami is dead." Her expression darkened, taking on a sadistic grin. "I stole her territory, so it's mine. The only other annoying thing around here besides you is that rosy Magical Girl. And, well, I'll see about getting rid of that competition, as well."

"Rosy…Magical Girl?" Royal-blue eyes widened. So it was true! It must have been Madoka she was referring to! "I…" She quickly shook her head, pushing her shock to the side. "I need to go. It's in both our interests that Magical Girl doesn't fight." She turned on her heel and ran through the corridors, leaving Kyouko by herself. The redhead blinked in surprise as she watched her go before dismissing it with a nonchalant shrug, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "Heh. What, was it love at first sight when she saw her at the school before?" The redhead's grin faltered, making way for a frown as she brought her soul gem into view. "Dang it…she just HAD to bring up that old face, didn't she?" She muttered darkly, taking note of the cloudy substance building up. "Now I gotta go locate another grief seed." She sighed in irritation, returning the soul gem to ring-form and taking off, making her way outside.

Why it didn't occur to her to use the flower-shaped grief seed in her pocket hadn't really dawned on her.

* * *

"That's strange…" Madoka mumbled, stepping cautiously through the abandoned part of the city. "This is where I usually find her…" As she proceeded down the path leading to the alleyway she'd once fought in, her mind grew clouded with memories of the fight; too many close calls. If she hadn't been careful…she could have lost Sayaka back then.

" _Great going, Madoka!" The blue-haired girl cheered on as she watched from the pink dome which shielded her from the rest of the barrier, watching Madoka as she aimed her sights. It may have only been a familiar, but she didn't care. After all, it was a familiar that almost took out her and Sayaka! She took a breath, a silent prayer of support as she straightened her stance, and released the arrow. As it soared through the air toward her target, she was startled to find a sudden golden chain wrapping around the targeted familiar, throwing it out of harm's way from the fiery arrow, the fire extinguishing as it brushed against the wall. Pink eyes widened with confusion, her calm stance faltering as she looked toward the familiar, only to find it running away from the area, the landscape fading away after it._

 _The sound of clacking heels caught Madoka's attention, causing her to whip her head around to face the source. In the distance she could see a girl, not too much older than herself, with brilliant scarlet locks trailing down behind her, resting against her hips as gravity took hold during the girl's landing. A cold glare startled the pink-haired girl, causing her to trail from the scarlet coat up to the fire-red jewel in the center of the other girl's breasts, and finally to the sharp scarlet eyes staring back at her. "U-Um, may I help you?" Madoka frowned, holding her staff close, subtly glancing back over her shoulder to ensure Sayaka was still protected by the pink dome._

" _Hnn…" The scarlet female stared her down, as if sizing up her opponent. "Crafty of the little rat; I turn my head for a brief second and he goes and creates some rookie for me to deal with?" She glanced over her shoulder, looking at where the familiar escaped to. "And on top of that…an idiot rookie who can't even tell the difference between a familiar and a witch?" She sighed irritably, glancing back at Madoka, her hand gripping her spear roughly. "Look, kid. I don't know how long you been goin' about this, but you're not supposed to touch those guys. They don't even have a grief seed, yet."_

" _I don't see what having a grief seed or not has anything to do with defeating familiars." Madoka countered, straightening her stance as she held the staff tight in her hand, ready to fight back at any sign of trouble. She couldn't place it, but something felt wrong about this girl; it was as if she wasn't really human. "Why did you stop me from defeating it? If left alone, it will only hurt other people!" The redhead gave a cold smirk in reply, adjusting her spear so it was rested on her shoulder before stepping forward, closing the distance between her and the pink-haired girl. "So let it. It's not like people don't die every day, anyway. And this way, we'll have more grief seeds at our disposal." She swung the spear out from off her shoulder, its handle extending until the blade stopped just short of the nape of Madoka's neck. "This isn't some game of justice, after all."_

 _Madoka grit her teeth, stepping back from the spear just slightly. "So then…you see people as your pawns?" She readied her weapon, feeling the swell of energy building up inside her. She didn't feel comfortable with the aspect of fighting a Magical Girl – they were supposed to be allies, after all – but this girl was a danger to the city. "Do you just intend to let that familiar devour innocents?" The redhead stepped a margin closer, retracting the handle of the spear to its original length and dragging it along the ground, causing an ear-piercing scratching sound, much akin to nails on the chalkboard. "Well, of course. If you allow a familiar to eat a few people, say five to ten, it will turn into a witch of its own. Then you can hunt it down, and get a grief seed out of the deal. I'd say that's a good reason to preserve them a little longer."_

 _Pink eyes widened in horror at the prospect. "That's…that's just not right! Something like that is just too cruel! How could you agree with something like that!? How could you live with yourself, believing in something terrible like that?!" Just then, a loud scrape was heard against the concrete before the sound faded altogether, Madoka finding herself staring down the blade of the spear once more. "! W-We're…we're Magical Girls!" She tried, hoping to appeal to the redhead before her. "We're supposed to help people! Why are you doing this?!" Scarlet eyes stared her down, her arm never wavering as she held the spear steady, just inches from the pink-haired girl's neck. "Uh-huh. Is that what you think this is? Some crusade?" She chuckled darkly, swinging her arm to the side and snapping the handle of the spear, breaking it into chained segments, its appearance more whip-like. "Man, are you getting the wrong idea about this!" She stepped back a margin, leaning back as she held her arm at the ready._

 _Madoka frowned in suspicion, stepping back a bit with concern. Before she had time to react, the redhead swung her arm forward, bringing the whip toward her in full force. The segments made impact with the shorter girl, knocking her off her feet and onto her side. "KYAA!" She cried out in pain, her face meeting with the concrete as she lay in shock. "B-But…we're supposed to be allies…!" She whimpered, her voice muffled by the ground she lay on. A heavy weight met with her back, causing her to wince in pain as the other girl's heel dug into her spine, the girl's cold voice ringing through the still air. "Listen, Rosy. Us Magical Girls aren't like the ones you hear about in anime or manga. We're survivors; we don't give a lick about the rest of the world, we're only out for our own gain." The weight pressed harder; nearby, a pink dome fizzled and faltered, revealing a wide-eyed blue-haired girl. "M-Madoka?!" The taller girl cried out in alarm, placing her hands on the ever-fading dome._

 _Scarlet eyes glanced back at the cry, a wry smile on her face. "Hohh…it looks like you've been bringing extra baggage with you on your crusade, as well." The weight against Madoka's back faded, leaving her alone on the concrete as Kyouko instead turned her attention to the fading dome. "Well, I think you could put her to better use, personally." She leapt across the ground, heels clacking as she landed just inches from the dome, analyzing its contents. "She'd make pretty excellent bait, don'tcha think?" With a swing of her spear, the rest of the dome shattered, leaving Sayaka vulnerable. The blue-haired girl stepped back in horror, one eye staring worriedly at her friend while the other remained on the predator before her. "S-Stay away!" She barked, stepping back from the redhead that, despite being a fair bit shorter than her, still managed to tower over her. "Leave us alone!" The redhead rolled her eyes at the girl's incessant barking, thrusting out a hand and gripping the girl tightly by the throat as she held her up in the air, watching as she struggled helplessly in her clutch. With a sadistic sneer, she turned back toward the pink-haired girl, holding the taller girl suspended in the air. "What are you gonna do?" She challenged. "If you don't do anything, your friend's gonna become lunch." Of course, she didn't intend for the rosy Magical Girl to get her friend back or anything of that sort. She just planned to rile her up; after all, they were most vulnerable when they couldn't control their emotions._

" _SAYAKA-CHAN!" Despite her fatigue, Madoka quickly pushed herself to her feet, staff forming into a bow as she prepared a shot. "Put her down!" Pink eyes narrowed dangerously as she commanded. The redhead across the way stared quietly for a moment at the pink-haired archer. "And if I choose not to? This is some good bait, right here." A burst of energy shot just inches from her ear just seconds after she finished opening her mouth; the proximity caused Kyouko to stop short, eyes wide with surprise. She blinked a few times, gathering her bearings as she looked toward the other Magical Girl; it looked like she wasn't as weak as she appeared; she was going to have to be more careful. "Looks like you've got more of a fight to you, after all." She tossed the blue-haired girl unceremoniously to the side before getting into a battle stance. Despite what Kyouko originally thought, this Magical Girl stayed steady even when driven by emotions – just like her._

" _Don't think you can get away with endangering my friend!" Madoka declared, eyes alight with righteous anger. "Your opponent is me!" The redhead rolled her head around, loosening any kinks in her muscles before proceeding to strike. This girl may have been a rookie, but she wasn't going to be an easy target. Without another word she leapt toward the girl, swinging the whip at her with full force, causing Madoka to quickly leap out of the way before preparing another arrow. The redhead kept her eyes trained on the girl's arrow; it was powerful, yes, but it wasn't very flexible. 'The good thing is this opponent relies on precision and strategy; she can only aim the arrow one direction, and can't change its course, unlike me with my spear. She may be tough, but this shouldn't take too long.' Keeping her eyes trained on the direction the pink-haired girl held out the arrow, she sat in place for just a brief moment until the arrow flew, taking the chance to leap over it before the arrow could strike her. It was the flaw of only being able to strike in one direction at a time. This girl didn't stand a chance._

' _My usual arrows aren't doing the trick, it seems…' Madoka thought, eyes sharp and alert as she kept an eye on her opponent's movements. Maybe it was time to switch things up a little. With a slow and steady intake of breath, she aimed her sights once more, taking to one knee as she glanced up at the girl who was still in the air. While she was still in the middle of her fall, the redhead wouldn't be able to change position. With a silent prayer, she released her hold on the arrow, allowing it to split off into several, flying diagonally toward the redhead, catching her off guard. 'What!? I thought the arrows could only shoot straight!' With a startled grunt, Kyouko quickly reacted, using the momentum of her spear-whip to quickly move herself from the line of fire. It worked, but only just; she could feel the slight singe on her arm from where one of the arrows grazed her. Not to mention, now that she'd thrown herself out of the way, it wasn't going to be easy to right herself before she made contact with the concrete. Bracing herself, the redhead skidded against the ground, using the power in her legs as she caught the ground with her heels. Her usual tried and true method of fighting close-up wasn't going to work against this girl. She needed to switch things up a bit, herself, if she was going to defeat her. Glancing back over to the blue-haired girl on the ground, a cruel sneer made its way to her face. She was normally above using a human shield, but…well, this rosy Magical Girl had to learn._

 _If Madoka hadn't been fearing for hers and Sayaka's life against this redhead, she might have taken the chance to admire her trained reflexes. She was powerful, yet graceful in her movements; everything Madoka wanted to be and more. Maybe if they'd met under different circumstances, they could have learned to be good friends. But this girl threatened her best friend, as well as the rest of the city. She couldn't easily befriend a girl like that. Pink eyes narrowed as she took note of the girl's actions. She was heading closer to Sayaka, again! She aimed her sights; she needed to be careful not to hit her friend, of course, but hopefully there was still plenty of distance between the redhead and the blue-haired girl. "Don't even think about it! Leave her out of this!" The shorter girl commanded, her voice strong and fierce._

 _Kch. So she noticed already, did she? Kyouko leapt back, away from the blue-haired girl. She also seemed to have enough faith in her abilities that she wasn't afraid to start another slew of arrows nearby her friend. 'Alright, then I guess I'll have to take a long-range approach, myself…but first, to move the nuisance out of the way.' A red diamond appeared in front of Sayaka; then another, and another after that, until they all linked together to form a barrier around the girl. With a nod of her head, Kyouko leapt even further back, landing on a staircase for an emergency fire escape. She watched the pink-haired girl, as said female eyed her suspiciously, before flicking her wrist with a snap of her fingers, a sharp blade protruding out of the ground with force just behind Madoka, impaling her from the back._

" _UGHAA!" The pink-haired girl cried out, her throat gurgling with blood which proceeded to drip from_

 _Her mouth. Glancing with horror down at her bloodied bodice, she found a sharp blade, stained with her blood, protruding from her abdomen. Thank goodness it wasn't any higher, she mentally noted with relief. Yet the relief was short-lived as the spear was ripped out from behind with just as much force, causing even more blood to gush out of her wounds, forcing Madoka to her knees. "Nggh…!" She grit her bloodied teeth, glaring up at her opponent with unshed tears she refused to let fall for this predator's amusement._

" _MADOKA!" Sayaka cried out in horror, feeling sick to her stomach as she watched her shorter friend force herself to her feet. The blue-haired girl pushed and shoved against the diamond-linked barrier separating her from them, to no avail. And what was she hoping to accomplish, anyway? What could she do, as a regular girl?_

' _There we go, that's better.' The redhead smiled in amusement, pleased with herself for discovering a tactic the rookie Magical Girl wouldn't easily be able to follow. Her smile was short-lived, however, when she found the pink-haired girl forcing herself back up to her feet. Pink rings began to circle around the girl's wounds, creating a gentle glow around her, allowing the injuries to close up. "Kch. So you've got pretty good healing magic, do ya?" Kyouko snarled. It didn't look like healing was her strongest point, she noted as Madoka swayed on the spot, exhaustion threatening to take over. Yet despite her exhaustion, the rookie Magical Girl held firm, preparing another arrow to shoot at her opponent._

 _It hurt. Everything hurt. Her lungs, her arms, her legs…in addition, Madoka's mind was threatening to cloud over. She had to maintain her stance, however. The moment she fell unconscious, she knew this girl would try to take Sayaka away to give her to a familiar, as she threatened to do earlier. She couldn't fall now. As a last ditch effort, she adjusted her aim, creating a different burst of energy into her make-shift bow, causing the scarlet Magical Girl across the way to tilt her head to the side in confusion. 'What is she aiming at?' Kyouko wondered with vague curiosity, nevertheless keeping alert in case there was any need to run._

" _Nggh…!" Madoka grunted in pain as she released the arrow, letting it soar into the air, packed with all her faith and determination. The moment it seemed to touch the sky, the arrow split off, creating a storm of arrows raining down mercilessly at the redhead. Kyouko's eyes widened with realization, proceeding to try to move out of the line of fire. But the arrows were everywhere. They nicked at her form from every angle; her face, her arms, her legs. It was all she could do to defend her front, so as to avoid any fatal damage. This girl was good; whenever she began to lose heart, a new tactic would arise, and she would prove to be an even stronger opponent. Kyouko grit her teeth, having no choice but to allow the arrows to strike, doing the most she could to lessen the blow. The more she moved, the more arrows would hit her._

 _Finally, the rain of arrows died down._

 _Madoka fell back down to her knees, panting heavily, as she stared helplessly up at the redhead. That was it, then. Even with her ultimate spell, she couldn't defeat the scarlet Magical Girl. She and Sayaka were at the girl's mercy. Biting her lip in defeat, she allowed the unshed tears to fall as she dropped her head low, awaiting her fate._

 _But nothing came._

 _Looking up in surprise, she found the scarlet female knelt down on one knee, blood pouring down her arms and legs, streaming from her head down to her cheek. Releasing a heavy breath, the redhead glared down at her, an amused chuckle escaping her lips. "…Heh…not bad, for a rookie." Forcing herself to her feet, she expertly straightened herself out, carrying her weight carefully so as not to aggravate the wounds any further. "I'll let you guys live, for now." She turned on her heel, using her spear as a support as she leapt into the air, pole vaulting out of sight, the only thing remaining the small pool of blood she left behind._

That had been a close one, Madoka frowned, stopping short as she stared at the ground she remembered herself having been impaled. Although she had the ability to heal herself due to the nature of her wish, it wasn't as strong as it could be, and she had been rattled pretty badly. She would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't even the slightest bit afraid of the scarlet Magical Girl.

"Kaname Madoka." A cool voice resounded behind her, causing the pink-haired girl to whip around in alarm, eyes guarded, stance alert. The sight of the raven-haired girl from school managed to set her at ease, but only just. While it certainly wasn't the other one that she knew was trouble, she didn't know how safe Akemi Homura was, either. "A-Ah…Homura-chan." She smiled diplomatically, straightening out her stance. "Are you Witch hunting, too?" The raven-haired girl stepped closer, a look of concern etched onto her pale features. "So, you really are a Magical Girl…" She bit her lip in frustration. That was it, then. Now, all she could do was try to defeat Walpurgisnacht, and try again afterwards. "You shouldn't be out here this late," She quipped, her eyes hardening, expression more unreadable. "Go home. I'll take care of any Witches in the area."

"Ah, it's fine!" Madoka's smile grew more nervous, waving her hands in dismissal in front of her. "I can handle the Witch hunting just fine around here!" Besides, she thought with a frown, she needed to locate that redhead so she could make sure she didn't hurt others again. "Um…did you happen to run into any other Magical Girls in the area on your way over here, Homura-chan?"

"Don't worry about her, either." Homura commanded darkly, placing a hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder in a rough manner. "I'll deal with the rogue Magical Girl. You don't have to worry about a thing." Madoka flinched at the sudden contact, but held firm. "…Homura-chan…somehow, I don't know if I can trust what you say." She looked up at the taller girl, determination in her eyes. "I don't need to be coddled. I can take care of my own battles." She reached up a hand to gently nudge Homura's hand off her shoulder before proceeding to walk past, tracing the ring on her left finger. "I became a Magical Girl for a reason…I'm not going to just sit on the sidelines and watch others suffer – I'm going to protect everyone." With that, she broke out into a run, leaving the raven-haired girl behind.

Homura watched as the pink-haired girl disappeared in the darkness of the alleyway. The sudden strength of will from the younger girl was staggering, yet it reminded her of the Madoka she'd grown to admire in the first place. But…this time, Madoka didn't appear to be on her side.

"…This timeline has become increasingly more difficult."

* * *

"There we go…" A scarlet glow now emanated from the previously dark crimson that had shown previously. Sakura Kyouko held her Soul Gem up to the light, staring into it to ensure she'd cleansed it of all the corruption that was inside. "Much better." She smiled with satisfaction, absently rotating the spent Grief Seed in her other hand. She never felt right if her Soul Gem wasn't at its best.

 _ **But why did we have to go through all the trouble of getting a new Grief Seed in the first place?**_

Kyouko flinched at the voice. She hadn't been hearing it too often lately, so having the strange voice inside her head after a long time had caught her off guard.

 _ **We've had a perfectly good Grief Seed for months, now! Why go out to find a new one?**_

Hesitantly, she reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out another Grief Seed, one she'd now had for a few months…and never used. She stared curiously at its flower pattern, her lips pursed in concern. "Come to think of it…" The flower pattern looked familiar, as if she'd seen it somewhere else.

"Why haven't I used this Grief Seed, yet?"

* * *

 **A/N: Welp, here's Chapter 2 for those who were waiting for it. Admittedly, it took a lot longer than I expected, but I'm churning it out as the inspiration arises. Alas, I've also got work and music videos in my life as well, in addition to socializing with family. Still, I'll see what I can do to try updating more often!**

 **Now, onto the story: Kyouko is hearing voices in her head. Madoka is paranoid about strangers. Sayaka feels helpless. And Homura...well, she'll find this timeline is more difficult than she first thinks. Madoka being a Magical Girl is the least of her worries. This story will touch on the darker sides of the Magical Girl system, aspects Homura didn't even think of.**

 **So, assuming I update frequently enough to keep people's attention (haha), look forward to the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Withdrawal

The sound of clacking heels permeated the silence as it echoed off the alley walls, accompanied with the sound of ragged breathing. Kaname Madoka made her way down the dark path, eyes alert as she practically sprinted through the enclosed area. She had to be around here, somewhere. This had been the last place she had encountered that scarlet Magical Girl, after all.

After what felt like an eternity of running, she finally came to a stop, kneeling down to catch her breath, panting heavily from the adrenaline. She looked up, finding herself looking out to the streets of Mitakihara, innocent pedestrians strolling by on the sidewalk. She'd wound up back in the populated areas, somehow, with not even a glimpse of the redhead. Releasing a sigh of defeat, the pink-haired girl stepped out onto the sidewalk, shoulders sagging in resignation as she proceeded to follow suit with the rest of the pedestrians, mingling with the rest of the sea of people. "Maybe she's not around today…" Madoka murmured quietly, a frown evident on her doe-like features. "Maybe she's found another city to haunt?" Well, there was no point worrying about it now. The sun was now starting to set, she had gotten nowhere, and her parents were likely going to be worried. Not that they weren't used to her coming home at all hours of the night anyway due to the Witch hunts, but they exhibited concern toward her disappearing acts, all the same. There was no need to worry them further. Turning on her heel, Madoka proceeded to make her way down the sidewalk the opposite direction, leading her towards the vicinity of home.

It was then that she caught a glimpse of red in the distance, in the midst of the crowd. Eyes widening with realization, the pink-haired girl quickened her pace, making her way closer to the figure. That wine-red shade, with that look of scarlet when lit up by the setting sun's rays…there was no mistaking it! That was the scarlet Magical Girl she'd been looking for! "Excuse me!" She called out, pushing her way gingerly through the crowd until she stopped short just inches from the other girl.

She seemed a little worse for wear, Madoka noticed as she got a better look at her. Even during battle, when they were forced to fight out of their transformations to avoid the risk of damaging their sources of power, she had never really gotten up close to the female to notice her state of dress. Outside of the battlefield, with her downcast, almost empty expression, and the ragged hoodie with frayed shorts, she seemed…pitiful; worthy of sympathy, even. It reminded Madoka that she wasn't normally one to judge others just based on their first impression.

With her friend and the people of Mitakihara at stake, maybe she'd just forgotten that little detail.

"Um…" Madoka attempted to initiate a talk with the girl, stepping just a mite closer, tilting her head to the side, pink puppy-tails bobbing with the motion. "Are you…" At that moment, the redhead raised her head up with a start, almost as if she'd just returned to reality. She blinked several times, gathering her surroundings once more, before glancing toward the source of the other girl's voice. The sight of the pink, rosy eyes coupled with puppy-tails caused her to step back in surprise. Kyouko hadn't expected to run into the rosy Magical Girl on the streets, surrounded by other people, of all places. "Oh…it's Rosy." The redhead quipped; she was quick to jump back into character, turning her head sidelong with a cruel sneer. "What's wrong? Not finding any Familiars to "save the city" from today?" Madoka frowned. For a moment, she thought she might have seen into the redhead's true self; a lost soul who was trying to find her place in life. Yet, it seemed that for whatever reason, she insisted on remaining cruel. "I came out here to find you." She stated firmly, her fists clenched by her sides. "I had intended for us to finish everything once and for all…but I've decided against that." Kyouko raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Oh? And why's that?" The pink-haired girl released a sigh, glancing at their location. From the looks of things, the redhead must have just shoplifted from the convenience store nearby, if the horde of snacks in her bag was any indication. There was no receipt she could see, and in all honesty it didn't look like the redhead had enough to even buy a few snacks. The fact that she had to resort to such methods must have meant that the older girl was struggling. "Because I want to get to know you better." Madoka replied, closing her eyes with an air of finality. "I realized, when I saw you just now…I don't know anything about you. And like a fool, I began to judge you harshly, simply because of your ideals. I didn't even try to get to know the real you."

"Don't bother." Kyouko responded curtly, reaching in the bag for a candy bar, ripping it open ferociously with her canines before taking a bite. She paused for a moment, mulling over its flavor, eyes glazed over; it was good, for sure, and it filled her belly…but somehow, it still made her feel empty inside, unlike when she cleansed herself with a Grief Seed.

Why was that?

Shaking her head, she wrapped the candy bar back up, putting it in her pocket to consume later. Along the way, she bumped against the flower-shaped Grief Seed resting in her pocket, causing her to stop short. "…Magical Girls shouldn't be able to trust each other, in the first place. We're all out for our own gain. That's why, if I run into you outside of the general public, I won't hesitate to try to kill you." She glanced sidelong at the shorter girl, a wistful look in her sharp eyes. "You were the same way, weren't you? To protect your friend, you were ready to kill me without a moment's hesitation. That's the way it is for Magical Girls." Madoka's eyes widened before she looked down at the sidewalk, hurt in her expression. "That's…you may be right about that…but I was wrong to judge you, back then!" She looked back up, a newfound fire of determination in her pink eyes. "I don't want to fight you anymore! Please, can't we at least try to make peace?"

"If you wanna make friends with a Magical Girl, you should try that new girl in town." Kyouko rotated the Grief Seed in her pocket for a moment before letting go, pulling her hand back out into the open air and glancing at her Soul Gem, a look of contemplation on her soft features. "She was saying something about the colossal Witch Walpurgisnacht coming into town, or something like that. I'm sure she'd be interested in making friends, seeing as she was trying to recruit me to help her fight it." Madoka frowned in confusion. "Walpurgis…nacht?" She blinked in rapid succession, a blank expression on her face. "What is this Walpurgisnacht?" Kyouko glanced her way again with a look of surprise. "You don't know what Walpurgisnacht is?" Her eyes lit up with realization, and she nodded in understanding. "That's right; you're still a rookie. Kyuubey wouldn't have told you about the rumor of Walpurgisnacht yet. Well, according to Dark and Mysterious, Walpurgisnacht is gonna be appearing at the end of this month to trash the city. I figure, hey! Rosy's into risking her neck to save innocents; why not bring it up to her? You two can save the world together and then ride off into the sunset, like a picture-perfect Fairy Tale!" She spat in disgust. "Save your delusions for someone else, will ya? I'd rather not take part."

Tears threatened to gather up at the corners of Madoka's eyes. She grit her teeth, looking away. "Why…? Why do you insist on being so cruel…? It's as if you're going out of your way to make people hate you…" The redhead's expression was unreadable as she stared quietly at the shorter girl attempting to appeal to her. "So what if I am? Whether I am or not, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that people leave me alone." She scoffed harshly. "Well, they usually do; you seem to be the annoying exception. Do I have to go after your friend, again?" Madoka's eyes widened with alarm, glaring defensively. "Leave Sayaka-chan out of this!" She barked, her knuckles white from how tightly she clenched her fingers. "She's got nothing to do with what I do!"

"Well, no." Kyouko agreed, rolling her shoulders as she straightened her stance, taking on a predatory appearance once more. "But she does have to do with you. She's someone you're close to, and something I can exploit. So, if you understand what I'm saying, leave me alone. Or, better yet…" She charged forward, grabbing the pink-haired girl by the collar of her uniform shirt. "STAY OUT OF MY HUNTING GROUNDS." Madoka frowned in disappointment, allowing the tears to stream down her face, fueling the righteous fury burning inside. She tried to take the time to understand this girl. She tried to make peace…this girl gave her no choice but to fight. Fight, or die. "I thought I could try to understand you…" The shorter girl's voice was low and dark, a tone she didn't often use. "But I guess there's no chance of that, is there?"

"Hey!" An authoritative figure, a police officer, stepped in front of them, intercepting their talk. "What's going on over here?!" The redhead in question nonchalantly released the pink-haired wreck, glancing up at him with uncaring eyes. "We're just having a spat. Why don't you try looking for actual trouble, officer? Huh?" The police officer frowned with suspicion, glancing toward Madoka with a look of concern. "It's getting pretty late. Shouldn't you be heading back to your family's?" Pink eyes wavered for a moment as Madoka stared quietly at the ground, taking in how pathetic the redhead made her feel. She hated this feeling of helplessness. If this girl wasn't going to try to make nice, even after Madoka tried extending a hand of friendship, then she was done being the nice girl. "Yes, officer." She responded in a low tone, eyes guarded as she straightened herself up. "Thank you for stopping by." She smiled at the man; one of her diplomatic smiles that served to ease people's worries. "I'll be heading home, now." She proceeded down the sidewalk, movement strong and full of purpose as she made her way out of view.

'This redhead…I can't trust her.'

Kyouko watched the girl go, her expression unreadable as she turned on her heel. The police officer stared at her with suspicion, looking her over and taking note of the plastic bag slung around her arm. "Hey…where'd you get those?" He questioned, causing her to stop short. The redhead sighed in irritation, glancing over her shoulder at him. "The convenience store. Where else?" She turned away again, proceeding down the sidewalk and away from the authoritative figure before he had a chance to recognize her as the pickpocket who'd been hanging around the city. By the time the police officer managed to put two and two together, he'd looked up to find her already out of sight. "Wha…huh?" He blinked in confusion.

How could such a young girl disappear so fast?

* * *

"What are you listening to?" Azure eyes shook with uncertainty as Miki Sayaka stared up at the crippled boy in the bed across from her. Her childhood friend, Kamijou Kyousuke, had his head turned away, his injured hand absently mimicking the movements of the violin playing he could hear through the earbuds. "The Girl With the Flaxen Hair." He replied dully, his voice emotionless. Sayaka nodded in acknowledgement. "Oh, right! That's by Debussy, isn't it?" She smiled brightly, leaning back in her chair. "He's a really good artist, that one!"

Silence.

Kyousuke continued to stare lifelessly out the window; continued to mimic the movement of violin playing, but never being able to truly play again. Sayaka could feel his frustration, even without him sounding it out. She felt it herself, after all. It was why she knew, in her heart, she wanted to heal him. She would become a Magical Girl so he could play again. She just needed to find the right way to word the wish. "You know…most people don't think me as someone who would recognize classical artists right off the bat, so they get really surprised when I name off the artists like it's nothing." Azure eyes glanced shyly, meekly, to the side. "It's all thanks to you, Kyousuke…if I'd never met you, I probably wouldn't have become so well accustomed to classical music…"

A cold stare caused Sayaka to look up, spotting the sharpness in her childhood friend's shale eyes. "Sayaka…" He called out bitterly, reaching up to pull out the earbuds. "Why do you insist on torturing me?"

"Eh?" Sayaka stared with shock and hurt at his words. "Wha…what are you saying?" All the long days of searching for the right music…all the worries over finding a rare CD for him…he considered it torture? All those long hours of care was nothing but torture? She watched as he dropped the earbuds onto the bed, the faint music still blaring out from the tiny speakers as Kyousuke brought his hand up to his face. "What's the point in listening to music if I can't play it myself?" Sayaka cringed; of course he would want to play with the music. He'd always been that way. "But you will be able to play it soon! You'll see!" Kyousuke grit his teeth, raising his hand up high. "It's useless! A crippled hand like this…what good can it do?!" He threw his hand down with force onto the music player, simultaneously destroying the rare CD Sayaka searched out for him and further injuring his crippled hand.

The rare CD held no value to Sayaka over the state her childhood friend was in. "Kyousuke!" She cried out in concern, sitting up from the chair and quickly reaching over to grab his left arm, splayed over him as she intercepted him from further injuring himself. "Please, stop it!"

"It's useless…I can't even feel the pain in my hand anymore…" She could hear him whimpering underneath her. Sayaka pushed herself up so she was just sitting over him rather than laying across him. "It's okay! The doctors are taking care of it! They'll be able to cure you, for sure! Someday, you'll-"

"I heard from the doctors…" Kyousuke mumbled, glancing vacantly to the side, silent tears slipping down his cheeks. "They said there's no hope for my hand. With our current science, nothing can be done for it…only a miracle or magic can save me, now…but it's not like there's anything like that in this cruel world!"

"It's there!"

Kyousuke glanced up at her, his eyes shining with tears. "What…?" Sayaka slid off the bed, never taking her eyes off him. "Miracles and magic…they do exist!" She glanced up at the window, a look of determination in her azure eyes. She could see him there. She could see him watching.

And she knew Kyuubey was aware what she wanted.

"Wait here, Kyousuke…" Sayaka muttered, stepping away from the bed, away from her childhood friend who she secretly loved. But none of that mattered. Her crush didn't matter. Her wants didn't matter. All that mattered to her at this point…was ensuring Kyousuke's happiness. With a final nod, she turned on her heel and proceeded to dash out of the room, making her way down the halls. 'I'm sorry, Madoka…I can't make a wish for me…not when there's someone else who needs a wish even more…!' Footsteps echoed through the building as she made her way up the stairs, moving closer and closer to the top of the building…where Kyuubey awaited her.

Her life was about to change…but she would never regret it.

* * *

"Sakura Kyouko." Akemi Homura spotted the redhead sitting quietly on the railing of an abandoned house. It had been a day since she'd last seen the redhead, before she'd gone to search out Madoka. Her grocery bag set carefully to the side, Kyouko glanced over at the raven-haired female staring up at her, twirling a half-eaten apple in her hand. Homura noted her slightly disheveled appearance; she seemed a little worse for wear, as if she'd had trouble sleeping. "…Is everything okay?"

Apples, apples, apples. Always, they'd sustained her and kept her from going hungry, the sweet and tangy taste always bringing sweet bliss to her otherwise dismal situation. Lately, however, it tasted more like ash in her mouth; ash, which only led her to think of fire - just like the fire that took everything away from her. Sakura Kyouko shook her head fervently, actually taking full note of the other Magical Girl. "And what do you want this time, irregular? If you're wondering, I never ran into Rosy in battle this time." Homura frowned. "Her name is Kaname Madoka. And I'm aware you never came across her; I came to her, myself. She seems…rather insistent on fighting. Even though I told her she didn't have to worry about it…" Royal blue pools stared with concern at the redhead above her. "What is your relationship with Madoka, for starters?"

"Kaname Madoka…" Kyouko played with the name on her tongue. "So that's what her name is…right, that blue-haired chick kept calling her 'Madoka', hadn't she?" She adjusted herself on the railing, sitting upright and expertly balancing herself as she removed all hold. "It's nothin' too complicated. I just ran into her in my territory, that's all. She was hunting a Familiar, I stopped her, we went head to head, I threatened her normal girl comrade, and she threw a hissy fit. That's really it." She gave a light shrug. "It's not like I had a long history with her or anything like that."

"Like you did with Tomoe Mami?" Homura questioned. As soon as she said it, she came face to face with the blade of a crimson spear jutting out of the ground, just inches from her neck. Royal blue eyes widened with shock at the sight, an involuntary shudder wracking her slender form. Scarlet eyes glared darkly at her. "Didn't I make it clear last time? Tomoe Mami is DEAD. Anything and everything from here on out has nothing to do with her." She slid off the railing, landing a few feet away from the raven-haired girl. "You mention her one more time…you're DEAD." She flicked her wrist, the crimson spear vanishing into thin air. Homura breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. That was close; somehow, it was all too easy to set Sakura Kyouko off in this timeline. "So…about my proposition from before…?"

"Are you still on about Walpurgisnacht?" Kyouko chided, a cruel smirk adorning her soft features, her head tilted just slightly to the side. "Why don't you try asking that Kaname Madoka about it? She'd be all for saving people." Homura frowned. "Madoka mustn't be involved in the fight against Walpurgisnacht. If she is…nothing good would come of it." The redhead rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother. Why the heck not, besides the fact that she's a justice freak that would likely get herself killed?" Homura closed her eyes, keeping silent. She couldn't tell her why. All she could do was hope that Kyouko was at least half as understanding as she usually was.

"Hey…what's the deal with Rosy, anyway?" Scarlet eyes narrowed with confusion. "Why're you so hung up on keeping her outta the loop?" She glanced to the side. "I told her about it, by the way. About this Walpurgisnacht you talked about. She'd really be more interested in fighting it than me. I doubt the Grief Seed would be worth the effort, anyway." Homura's eyes widened. "You told her!? Why…I meant for this to be between us!" The redhead scoffed, shaking her head. "Uh, no. Not interested. Not in the slightest." Her eyes narrowed. "Seriously, what's in it for me even if I did?" Homura frowned. This wasn't going how she wanted at all! Everything was going wrong. Even Sakura Kyouko, who was usually fairly cooperative, was being extremely difficult! "…I'll give you every other Grief Seed I find." That was it. That was all she could offer. If Sakura Kyouko wouldn't accept it, Homura was out of luck. She'd just as soon start packing her bags and leave this timeline.

The promise of Grief Seeds, however, caused her to take the bait. "Oh?" Scarlet eyes glinted mischievously. "You'll give me every other of all your Grief Seeds?" Homura grit her teeth. Somehow, it felt like she was walking into a trap. Nonetheless, she held her ground. She needed Kyouko's cooperation, after all, whatever it took. "…Yes. Every other Grief Seed I find I will give to you."

 _ **Well, if a never-ending stock of Grief Seeds is part of the deal, then I'd say it's worth it! We should go for it!**_

Kyouko held her head, face contorted with pain for just a brief moment before she looked back at Homura, a pleased smile on her face. "And how long is this deal good for?" Homura frowned. If she said it was only good until after Walpurgisnacht, Kyouko would likely change her mind and walk away. She needed her as an ally. "…However long you need it to be." She finally responded, eyes shifting to the side with uncertainty. Somehow, she felt like she was digging a hole for herself. But she wouldn't back down, now. She'd finally gotten some progress in getting the redhead to listen.

 _ **However long…so, she can be our Grief Seed collector for as long as we want! She'll be our slave!**_

"Nggh…" The redhead groaned in pain, a wave of dizziness overtaking her. The voice was becoming more powerful, lately…and what was this about having a slave? She wasn't about that. She did things on her own. "Fine…" She mumbled, before shaking her head again, looking back up at Homura with more fervor. "Alright, I'll take it. I'll exploit your services then, until after Walpurgisnacht. After that, you guys better high-tail it outta here or I'm forcing you out." Homura frowned in concern. "Kyouko…are you…okay?" Scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously at her. "I'm FINE. And while we're at it, who told you my name in the first place?" Homura pursed her lips, stepping back a bit. She was more bad-tempered, more on guard. Really, what was wrong with this Sakura Kyouko? "I've…heard of you. You've been a Magical Girl for a long time, from what I've gathered."

 _ **She's heard of us? Well, then why didn't she know to leave us the hell alone? Seriously, these Grief Seeds are-**_

"SHUT UP!" The redhead yelled out, fists clenched tightly against the side of her temple. She shook her head again, glowering at Homura. "Then you know that I'm not really one to make nice. You can do your little business here, so long as you pay your dues. Once you're done, you're outta here." She hissed, clearly still on edge from whatever had been bothering her. "And you can take Rosy and her little friend, while you're at it. I don't need you guys scarfing up my Grief Seeds."

Homura's eyes were wide with surprise. It wasn't like Kyouko to give outbursts like that. Had she been yelling at the fact that she'd heard of her? Or was something else going on? "…I'll see what I can do. Madoka would have to listen to me, first. And her friend is no less stubborn; even more so, really." Kyouko nodded in understanding. "Well, I can't disagree with that. Still, if you want me to spare them, you'll get them out of my territory." Homura nodded slowly, stepping back a little bit more. She needed to know, but she was afraid of Kyouko's reaction if she said.

"…You said not to bring her up again…but you also said before that you'd stolen her territory…how do you mean?"

Kyouko snapped her head to face her, eyes wide with fear and a little distraught, for just a moment. She stepped back, fist slowly lowering to her side, posture faltering. She couldn't say it. She couldn't say that she killed her sister, especially not with a proud face. She wouldn't admit it. "…She was sloppy." She muttered darkly, eyes downcast, expression almost regretful. "She made a mistake, and she paid for it with her life. So now, this territory is mine for the taking."

 _ **She can't get in our way anymore, now! Why can't we just admit proudly that we took out the only other veteran in the area?**_

"Did a Witch get her?" Homura asked. It bothered her not to know what happened. Whenever there were anomalies she didn't understand, things always went awry in a timeline. It was more than plausible that Tomoe Mami had slipped up and gotten killed by a Witch…but somehow, she had the sinking suspicion that there was more to it than that.

 _ **Witch, huh? Well, you could say that she was killed by a Witch…**_

The redhead's glower grew darker, as she immediately went to steel herself. "Didn't I say not to mention that girl again?" Her unkempt nails dug into flesh, droplets of blood trickling down her palm that she didn't take notice to. "Who cares how she bit it? Point is, she's gone and I'm still here. I was here long before Rosy contracted. So, by definition, this territory belongs to me." She stomped towards Homura, causing her to back up even more, until she brushed up against a cold surface of the wall behind her. "You got anything more to say about that? HUH!?" She could feel her rage bubbling, as it always did when she moved to protect her fragile state of mind. She killed Mami. She was a Witch. For all intents and purposes, Homura was right.

And Kyouko regretted every bit of it.

Homura held in her breath, staring up with surprise at the redhead before her. It occurred to her, all of a sudden, that for the most part she'd had Sakura Kyouko as an ally. Even when she wasn't on the best terms with Homura, they were still relatively civil. To actually have the scarlet Magical Girl breathing down her neck, like a predator ready to strike…it reminded her of the fear she first had when she entered a Witch in the first place. No. She had to be strong. "My apologies." She calmly replied, refusing to let the anger from the other girl break her emotionless mask. "I suppose I was merely curious. I won't bring it up again." She remained calm, the trembling in her legs the only evidence of her fear. Kyouko stared coldly at her for a moment more before stepping back, allowing the raven-haired girl space to move away again. She absently noted the throbbing in her hands as she brought them up to take a look, simultaneously checking on the status of her Soul Gem. "Tch. Now look what you've done. Well, I guess you better start getting to hunting Witches now, huh?" She looked back over to the slightly taller female, a harsh smile making its way to her otherwise soft features. "I gotta warn you: I need a LOT of Grief Seeds, so you're gonna have to keep up.

Homura nodded, stepping away from the redhead as far as she could. She stopped short, looking over her shoulder at the shorter girl. What was that, a bit ago? It almost looked like Kyouko thought Homura was blaming her for Tomoe Mami's death. But that couldn't be right. After all, of all the Magical Girls, Kyouko would never have it in her to kill someone she truly cared about. Were they just not that close in this timeline? But then, what was with those bouts of regret? She shook her head, proceeding to walk forward and away from the strangely unstable Magical Girl, when she stopped short.

A strong, pulsing sensation swept through the air, causing both the Magical Girls to look up with surprise. The bonds of fate had shifted through the atmosphere…a new aura was formed…

A contract!

* * *

"Sayaka-chan…?"

Pink eyes stared with surprise at the white cape billowing in front of her. Accompanied with the cape, Kaname Madoka found herself staring up at the back of neck-length azure locks drifting in the wind. Greenish-blue boots touched to the ground as a sharp blade, a cutlass, swung out to the side in a dramatic fashion. The figure smiled victoriously, glancing over her shoulder, a hint of azure pools glancing back at the shorter girl. "That was a close one, wasn't it, Madoka?" She turned her head fully, the face of Madoka's childhood friend, Miki Sayaka, staring back at her. Off to the side, a clown-like creature, with a body much akin to a snake, writhed on the ground in irritation from the big cut in its side. Hissing with anger, the creature once again rose up, its razor-sharp teeth gleaming as it stared down at its rather uncooperative preys. Hearing the creature's protests, Sayaka glanced back over, her expression hardened as she held her blade at the ready. "Still coming back for more, is it?" She challenged, getting back into a battle stance, ready to charge.

"Sayaka-chan, I'll help!" Madoka cried out, stepping out from behind the taller girl, preparing her arrow to strike at the creature staring down at them. With Sayaka on the frontlines, and her supporting from the back with her fiery arrows, it almost felt like old times. The blue-haired girl was always stepping up to the front of battle, while Madoka with her first-aid was always the line of defense. Now, she noticed as she witnessed a couple cuts fading away from Sayaka's arm, it looked like Sayaka could hold her own when it came to her well-being.

But it was okay. Madoka wasn't just going to sit back and watch while her friend did all the fighting. This time, she could fight too!

"Thank you, Madoka!" Sayaka replied, swinging out her sword and slicing into the creature, quickly dodging as it dove down with its enormous jaws. She lunged high into the air with a power-boosted jump, landing on its elongated back. Like a champion conquering a ruthless dragon, she rose her blade up into the air before slamming it down with full force into the polka-dot textured back. "Now, Madoka!"

Madoka nodded in acknowledgement, her bow at the ready. She just had to put faith in her arrow. Aim…and strike! With a silent prayer to guide it along, the arrow flew towards the creature, hitting it right between the eyes, ripping through its many layers underneath. Feeling the writhing underneath her, Sayaka quickly jumped off the snake-like creature before she was thrown off, landing on one of the many confectionaries the creature seemed to have in its barrier. "Nice one, Madoka!" She cried out in triumph.

"It's not done yet, Sayaka-chan!" Madoka warned. "Hide!" Sayaka quickly did as she was told, ducking behind one of the confectionaries as she watched Madoka raise her bow up into the air, preparing her special move. Sayaka recognized the movement; the rain of arrows she had used to save her in the first place…and the same movement that had failed to take out the redheaded demon they came across. She heard the fiery arrows as they rained down with full force onto the snake-like creature with its polka-dot coat, the barrier around them starting to dissipate, returning them back to the regular world once more. Sayaka pushed herself to her feet, using her gloved hand to brush invisible dirt off her pleated skirt, moving up to brushing off the white fabric portion of her bustier, before reaching behind her to brush off the white cape. Madoka smiled at her friend for a moment before her smile morphed into concern. The pink-haired girl immediately recalled her transformation before proceeding to run over to the taller girl who was still looking over herself, astonished by her appearance. "Sayaka-chan! When did you…!"

"Just a bit ago, actually." The blue-haired girl sheepishly replied, sporting a grin to match her current nervous posture. "I was just inside the hospital, so it wasn't hard to find the Witch. And when I realized that you were in there, having trouble?" She shook her head. "Well, that quelled any hesitation in my mind." Madoka frowned, glancing away. "So you…you finally made up your wish, have you? I told you that you didn't need to rush it, didn't I?" Sayaka nodded in response, a firm expression affixed to her soft features. "I know. But I knew what I wanted…" The sight of Kyousuke's expression wrought with despair flitted past her mind. "And I knew I couldn't hesitate." She tilted her head to the side, a reassuring smile making its way to her face. "Besides! Now I can help you against fighting that fiery demon chick you keep running into! You saw how she cowered in fear against your ultimate Rain of Arrows before, didn't you?" She grinned victoriously. "With the two of us against her, she doesn't stand a chance!"

"Sayaka-chan…" Madoka glanced to the side, uncertainty on her childish face. True, two against one might potentially make the battle a little better…but at the same time, she could see the tactics the girl was using. She was quick to try to rouse the anger in her opponent, to try to cloud their judgement. Madoka herself could fare well enough in a situation like that, possibly because her line of fire didn't involve her being in the thick of the action…but Sayaka, no matter the situation, would grow more reckless when her anger was roused. Normally it just meant more scrapes and bruises to patch up, but in this case…it could mean her life.

"Well, well, well!" A harsh voice resounded through the air, causing the pink and blue duo to glance sharply over at the source. A vision of scarlet caught their eyes; as soon as Madoka took note of the gleaming ruby orb in the center of the other girl's breasts, she glanced back at Sayaka, motioning to keep her guard up. Sayaka quietly nodded, holding her cutlass at the ready. The scarlet Magical Girl stared down at them from her perch, balancing expertly on her feet on top of the lamppost. "Looks like little miss Regular decided to join the party, did she?" Sayaka glared darkly, straightening her stance. "Is that a problem? What, are you afraid Madoka and I are gonna kick your selfish butt?" Kyouko cackled in amusement, recalling her transformation as she landed onto the ground, making her way over to the two. "Nah, you're small fry. Barely even a challenge against the Witches." As she said this, she spotted the gleam of obsidian on the ground, just a little ways from the other two. A sharp crimson blade jutted out from the ground, throwing the Grief Seed in the air as she walked past them, reaching up her hand and catching it in mid-air. "I just came to get what's mine."

"H-HEY!" Sayaka cried out indignantly, gawking in disbelief at what she'd just witnessed. The redhead had just casually waltzed in and taken their Grief Seed! "That's mine and Madoka's!" Kyouko turned on her heel, a sly smile on her face. "You hunt in my territory, you pay your dues. Besides, it didn't look to me like anyone was claiming it." She tossed it up a few inches in the air before hiding it away in her pocket, giving the two girls a coy smile.

Madoka frowned, still and quiet as she watched the redhead's wrongdoings. She didn't know what to say to the girl. Now that she'd seen another side of her, she couldn't fully hate her. But she knew, at the same time, that she wasn't able to befriend the redhead, either. "…If we're going to be running into each other more often…" Madoka called out, her voice surprisingly low, a tone Sayaka didn't really hear from the pink-haired girl. "Don't you think introductions are in order, at least?" She took the chance, stepping a little bit closer to the slightly taller female, holding out a hand. "I'm sure you've heard it before…but my name is Kaname Madoka." This handshake wasn't meant to extend a hand of friendship. She'd tried that, and it was spat in her face. No, this was merely for business. She knew there was no chance of friendship, but maybe a chance at civility would help to lessen the tension, even if only a smidgen. "You told me before that a colossal Witch by the name of Walpurgisnacht is going to be coming to attack the city, right? And that Akemi Homura-san had attempted to recruit you for it?" Her expression hardened into one of a burdened diplomat. "For the sake of the city…and just for that…"

"I wish to form an alliance with you."

From afar, Akemi Homura watched the events play out before her. Madoka was too hardened. Miki Sayaka was too naïve. Sakura Kyouko was too unstable. Yet, here they were, attempting to make peace on their own for the fight against Walpurgisnacht. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she watched the redhead reach into her pocket, pulling out an unopened candy bar. Kyouko shrugged dismissively. "I don't do handshakes…but sure, why not. But just until after Walpurgisnacht, then this bet is off." She thrust the candy bar into Madoka's extended hand, causing the pink-haired girl to blink in surprise, her hardened expression broken in that instant. "The name's Sakura Kyouko. Please to make your acquaintance…for now." She stepped back, looking over at the blue-haired girl. "Hey, you. No funny business, alright?" Her lips broke out into a sly grin as she stepped even further back, looking at the both of them. "I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Dark and Mysterious, okay? This deal is good, so long as you give me every other Grief Seed you find. If I find out you've been hoarding any for yourself…" Her eyes glinted dangerously. "Well, I guess it'd be safe to say for you to watch your backs."

Sayaka scoffed in protest. "Wait a minute, you want us to hand YOU every other Grief Seed that WE find?! That's ridiculous! Find your own Grief Seeds, you addict!" Madoka thrust her hand out in front of the blue-haired girl, causing her to stop. "Sayaka-chan." She chided calmly, looking back at the redhead with hardened eyes. "…Those are your terms?" She confirmed, one eye glancing at the candy bar that had been offered. Somehow, it really felt like there was more to the girl…that she was nicer than she made herself out to be, but for some reason she was pushing others away.

"Those are my terms..." Kyouko nodded in agreement. "…Until after Walpurgisnacht, at which point I expect you to pack your bags and find your own territory. But for now, I will allow you to keep every other Grief Seed. Every other of that goes to me, as payment for hunting in my grounds." Madoka looked over her shoulder, taking note of Sayaka's silent protests she was making with her mouth. This was probably a bad idea. They'd just as soon avoid all confrontation with the redhead in general. But…this was the most ideal, non-violent method that everyone could at least benefit a little from. She looked back at the redhead. "…Done. Thank you for your understanding…Sakura Kyouko-san."

The redhead nodded in acknowledgement before turning on her heel, making her way down the path and out of sight. As she left, Madoka could sense another presence drawing nearer. She turned her head slowly to meet with the raven-haired girl, taking note of her expression. To her surprise, she seemed worried. "Madoka…" Homura breathed out, one eye shifting toward the area the scarlet Magical Girl had just been. "You shouldn't be a part of this. You should have just left it to me." Madoka frowned, eyes narrowing with suspicion at the raven-haired girl. "I don't know why you think I'm so helpless, Homura-chan…" She turned to face Sayaka, watching as the girl recalled her transformation, her rage-filled azure eyes still fixed on the empty path. "I can take care of myself. We both can. I've never heard of Walpurgisnacht before Sakura Kyouko-san told me about it, but it sounds dangerous. Now's not the time for us to be fighting each other. We should be preparing for the end of this month, and fight together against it." She glanced over her shoulder. "Isn't that what you wanted, Homura-chan? Why else would you try to recruit that scarlet Magical Girl?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't want to think that there was another reason for you to try to team up with her…"

Homura glanced away, her lips pursed tightly. "…No. That was the only reason." Her eyes fluttered softly, sadly shut. "I had hoped to keep you from getting involved…but I suppose that was a fruitless effort. In any case, I'm glad you're willing to make peace with this girl. She's not a foe you want to face." Madoka sighed, lightly brushing off her plaid uniform skirt. "Only until after Walpurgisnacht. Only time will tell what happens afterwards…but I'm willing to form a truce until after Walpurgisnacht."

Sayaka stared into the depths of the horizon, the image of the redheaded demon still burned into her mind. Her cruel laughs…her needless, unreasonable demands…how could she ever hope to work together with a monster like that? A monster who would abandon innocents to the jaws of hungry Witches and Familiars…a monster who would mercilessly strike at Magical Girl and regular people alike…

A monster like that…she would never follow her orders!

* * *

 _ **We didn't have to listen to them, y'know.**_

Sakura Kyouko stared up at the clouds, forcing herself to ignore the incessant droning in her head, taking note of the suffocating undertone in the air instead. She should've noticed it herself, really. There was something different about the number of witches. More despair had gathered in the area; which, while it brought about more Grief Seeds, overall made things a bit harder for her. Maybe it was about time she settled down and tried working with others again, to keep the Witches at a healthy balance? After all, she'd managed to scrape up some kind of fighting technique that could keep her steady in battle, without risking getting others killed in the process. And didn't she have a promise to fulfill, after all? Walpurgisnacht had finally arrived.

" _If a Walpurgisnacht really does come one day…let's defeat it together!"_

But the one she made the promise to was dead. It was all her fault, too. How could she hope to try to ally with another Magical Girl again, after what she'd done to one she held so close? Gritting her teeth, she shoved her hand into her pocket with the intent of pulling out the half-eaten candy bar she'd meant to finish before, but never seemed to have the appetite to get back to. What she caught in the palm of her hand instead, when she pulled it out, was the flower-shaped Grief Seed she'd had on hand for a long time now. "This thing, again…"

She'd acquired the Grief Seed from one rather small-looking Witch, with golden ribbons spilling out and serving as arms. The place had been filled with apple trees, another thought that managed to churn her appetite as she rotated the Grief Seed thoughtfully in between her fingers. The Familiar that kept her at bay, a rather familiar-looking redhead in a maid's attire, also set the scarlet female on edge. There was something about that fight that just didn't sit right with her; something that prevented her from using this Grief Seed as she had all others. Just what was it?

 _ **All this doubt and uncertainty is just going to make us feel worse. Just use the Grief Seed already, and be done with it!**_

Spurred on by the voice in her head, Kyouko brought the Grief Seed closer to her hand, the hint of darkness peeking from below the surface of her fiery-red gem. Right…she didn't have to think about it. This Grief Seed meant nothing to her. It was just a Grief Seed, like all the others, that she could exploit. With it, she could be cleansed. She could feel. She could…

No.

Just inches from her Soul Gem, Kyouko hesitated for a moment, before finally retracting the Grief Seed and shoving it back in her hoodie pocket. She couldn't place it…but whenever she had one of these feelings, she knew it was best to abide by them. She didn't think she had a sixth sense, per se, but it just didn't feel right, the thought of using that Grief Seed to cleanse herself.

… _ **You're not listening to me?**_

She wouldn't. She couldn't. She couldn't handle all the Witches on her own, anymore. She wouldn't force the girls to be her slaves. Nor could she bring herself to use that Grief Seed. The slew of demands this voice was making was becoming more and more unreasonable. Maybe if she satisfied herself with food, instead, the voice would die back down. Quickly and without hesitation, she wrenched the candy bar out of her pocket, yanking down the wrapper and clamping down onto it with desperate jaws. She had to escape it. She had to break out of this obsession. Grief Seeds weren't food; they were simply a means of survival.

 _ **But Grief Seeds are the only things we have left! Even without food, we can still survive if we have Grief Seeds! Besides, food only reminds us of the past!**_

A dull throbbing sensation pounded through the girl's head, causing her to groan in pain, swaying on her feet before she forced herself to steady, making her way over to a wall and laying her head against it, sliding down to her rump. Her breath was shaky as she glanced faintly down at the uneaten candy bar in her hand. It tasted like ash in her mouth, just like the apples.

Everything tasted like ash, now.

 _The scent of burnt flesh invaded her nostrils as Sakura Kyouko stared in shock at the scene before her. She wasn't sure when the fire began to form around them, nor did she really care. All it served to do was destroy the evidence of what her Father had done…no, what she had done._

 _Snowy ash began to fall as she stared blankly, empty, at the nothingness around her. A wish to protect everyone's happiness…and this is where it got her. Clearly, it didn't make anyone happy._

 _She was a fool._

Kyouko's eyes widened as she felt the burning sensation of bile threatening to bubble up in her throat, and she forced herself onto all fours, retching and coughing fitfully as the contents of what little she had consumed came back up in a misshapen mess of vomit and chunks. No, she couldn't think back. She couldn't!

 _ **But we have no choice. As long as we eat, the memory will always come back to haunt us, remind us that we're murderers.**_

"I didn't…" She coughed out a bit more bile, reaching up and wiping her mouth on her rugged sleeve, her breath ragged and shaky, sobs threatening to slip out again. "I didn't mean to kill them…I didn't want to…"

 _ **But you did. We did. And now, thanks to that, we're murderers. No amount of good intent is going to cover that up, Kyouko.**_

The voice was right. The bedraggled redhead grit her teeth in a mix of frustration and despair, moving back against the wall, her head rested against her knees as if it were her last source of comfort, arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she rocked gently back and forth to a silent lullaby, accompanied with quiet sobs.

This wasn't the best place to sleep. And this wasn't the best state to be in. But for a ruthless murderer like herself, who said she had the right to choose?

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I actually finished that faster than I expected! It also ended up longer than expected, too. XD**

 **Well, Kyouko's voices are really getting to her, aren't they? She's gonna starve herself, at this rate, and then where would she be? Meanwhile, Sayaka's joined the battle, and Madoka's hardened herself even further due to Kyouko's cruel persona. Really, Homura should just call this timeline a lost cause and leave now while she's got the chance. But, we'll just have to see where things go.**

 **At least the girls have agreed to a truce. Or have they? Sayaka doesn't seem to keen on agreeing to the terms Kyouko laid out for them...will her stubbornness bring the others to ruin?**

 **Well, that's all for now! As always, comments and criticism are much appreciated! I will be brainstorming the next chapter, but clearly it's not going down a good road for them.**

 **I'll see you all next time!**


	4. Chapter 4: Struggle

A battle cry could be heard ringing through the surreal landscape as Miki Sayaka charged headstrong against the witch, sword at the ready, poised to strike. This had been the third Witch she had found today, a surprising amount in the short time she had been hunting them down. Really, it wouldn't have been hard for the girls to make good on their deal with the red-headed demon and hand over every other Grief Seed; there were certainly more than enough Witches around to share the bounty.

But Sayaka refused to comply to that demon's demands.

It had been three days since she and Madoka had run into the redhead just outside the hospital, where her merciless cackles still plagued the blue-haired warrior's mind. Even outside of battle, just the girl's presence sent shudders down Sayaka's spine. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she ran her sword through the witch with great force, landing a few inches away and looking over her shoulder at it, watching as it writhed in pain and agony for a little while longer before it finally gave, the barrier dissolving along with it. The familiar plinking sound of the Grief Seed resounded through the air and she turned on her heel, making her way over to the obsidian object and taking it in her palm.

She held it deftly in her hand, twirling the object around between her fingers. Really, so much trouble over something so small…Sayaka couldn't understand the redhead's addiction over them. Sure, they cleansed their Soul Gems, and sure, it tended to give a feeling of relief after a long, hard day…but was that really worth so much sacrifice? "Of course not." Sayaka muttered, recalling her transformation and pocketing the Grief Seed in her uniform shirt. She noticed a slight bulge in the pocket where she'd placed it. Soon enough, it was going to become more noticeable…she needed to find another place to hide them if she was going to avoid that demon from finding out.

Just then, she heard something hit the wall nearby, and she quickly turned her head in concern. Someone could be in trouble! And if that demon was going to ignore those in need, then she would be the one there to help them! Allowing the strength in her legs to guide her along, Miki Sayaka made her way towards the source of the noise, where she knew someone was in need of her help.

What she saw when she got there killed all motivation in her legs, however. Screeching to a stop, the blue-haired girl stared down in surprise and suspicion at the redhead resting against the alley wall. "…You…" She growled, stepping back a bit, sizing her opponent. If the scarlet Magical Girl found out Sayaka wasn't making good on their deal, they could all be in trouble. But Sayaka knew she could take her. If it came to a fight, she would surely defeat the demon. Because she was a savior of justice!

Lashes fluttering tiredly open, Sakura Kyouko forced her head up as she glanced wearily at the figure standing a few feet away, noting the azure shade of cropped hair, as well as the light-blue gleam from the taller girl's palm. It was the new rookie Magical Girl that had just contracted a few days ago. "Oh…you. What're you doin' around here?" She muttered, pushing herself to her feet, using the alley wall as support. Physically, she felt weak. She hadn't eaten anything since the voice in her head caused her to throw up the little bit of the candy bar she'd forced herself to eat three days ago. In addition, the combination of hunger pains and fatigue was making it hard for her to sleep properly. She probably looked like she'd just crawled out of the sewers, with her matted ponytail tangled in knots, along with her ragged attire which looked even more unkempt than usual.

But her fire-red Soul Gem was gleaming brightly; a telltale sign of her desperate hunt against the Witches. She'd managed to acquire a good amount of Grief Seeds on her own, and the ones supplemented by the Rosy Magical Girl and raven-haired Magical Girl were really helping. Scarlet eyes narrowed in suspicion at the bulge of Sayaka's pocket. Come to think of it, the new rookie hadn't stopped by at all to hand over any of her Grief Seeds, had she?

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Sayaka challenged, straightening her posture, ready for anything the redheaded demon would try against her. "I'm hunting Witches so that people don't have to suffer." After all, there was no way she would leave this area of the city to someone who didn't have a care to those who were in need! Kyouko narrowed her eyes further, stepping away from the wall and closer to the taller Magical Girl, tilting her head to the side in a menacing manner. "Are you, now? Good for you…so, how many Grief Seeds have you been hoarding for yourself, then?" She glanced back down at Sayaka's pocket. "I'd say by that bulge there you have at least five at your disposal." Sayaka flinched, stepping further back from the redhead. "So? I'm just hunting them as I find them! Who cares how many Grief Seeds I find?" Scarlet brows twitched in irritation, a moment of silence before Kyouko's hand swung to the taller girl's uniform shirt, clutching tightly and forcing her off the ground. Sayaka gasped and choked, kicking her feet in protest, to no avail. "You snide little brat…" The redhead hissed, scarlet pools shaking as she refused to meet the younger girl's eyes. "You don't even CARE how many Grief Seeds you find…and you haven't so much as given ONE of them to pay your dues?" She threw the blue-haired warrior against the wall, causing Sayaka to cry out in pain. "How conceited can you be?!" Kyouko roared, stepping toward the blue-haired girl before she had the chance to push herself back up. "I told you my conditions for working together with you guys, didn't I!?"

"I'll never listen to the demands of a selfish demon like you!" Sayaka retorted, glaring up at her with righteous anger. What right did she have to be so angry about what she did with her Grief Seeds?! She didn't defeat those Witches, and she sure as heck wasn't caring for the safety of the civilians. She didn't deserve them! "What leader of the territory just leaves innocent people to suffer…?" She forced herself to her feet, a blue aura enveloping her as she brought back her Magical Girl garb, cutlass in hand. "Someone like you…I'll never bow down to!"

 _ **KILL HER.**_

Kyouko hissed in pain from the overwhelming demand from the voice, but with quick precision she called force the blade of a crimson spear from the ground, catching Sayaka off guard and causing her to trip back on her feet; luckily, her clumsy moment managed to avoid the blade which was just short of hitting Sayaka's crescent-shaped Soul Gem. "H-HEY!" Sayaka cried out in anger, mixed with fear. "That was close!"

 _ **KILL HER!**_

"Close, but not enough." The redhead stepped closer, recalling the spear from the ground, preparing for another one. She would make this swift. She hated the younger girl's Holier-Than-Thou attitude, but she didn't want to make her suffer too badly for it. She was simply an obstacle, and there were quick and easy ways to be rid of obstacles.

She just needed to strike at the right point.

 _ **KILL HER!**_

Sakura Kyouko took a breath, watching the younger girl's movements. Sayaka glared at her with righteous fury, stepping cautiously back. "You…you're actually trying to kill me, aren't you?" It made sense, now that Sayaka thought about it. This girl was trying to kill Madoka before, too. Not to mention, a demon like her could never value another's life. "Not before I kill you, first!" She roared, sword at the ready as she poised to strike at the redhead. It couldn't be too difficult, after all. This girl's Soul Gem was right in plain-

As she drew nearer, she realized too late that the scarlet Magical Girl hadn't donned her scarlet attire, but was still wearing the ragged hoodie and shorts; her Soul Gem was out of sight. Sayaka gasped in shock, staggering for just a moment.

That moment was all Kyouko needed; she flicked her wrist, summoning another crimson blade out of the ground, hitting Sayaka in the stomach with full force before she even had the chance to realize her fatal mistake. Bright sapphire fragments scattered to the ground, her newly-acquired knight outfit dispersing before Kyouko finally recalled the spear blade, dropping her unceremoniously to the ground in a lifeless heap. Straightening herself out, Sakura Kyouko stepped closer to the blue-haired corpse, the only sign of her death the scattered remains of the Soul Gem and the cool temperature slowly emanating from Sayaka's still form. It wasn't the first time she'd killed a Magical Girl, so the sight didn't bother her too much.

No…this was the second. The first Magical Girl she'd ever killed was-

 _Blonde ringlets lay helplessly in an ever-expanding pool of blood, tears still slipping down the fair-skinned Magical Girl's lifeless cheeks…_

A sharp gasp escaped the redhead's lips and she stepped back, further away from the fallen knight, her breath growing more ragged. No. Stop. This wasn't Tomoe Mami, anyway! Why did she have to care who she killed!? It was easy enough to justify the death of her sister-figure…so why couldn't it be just as easy to justify the death of a stranger who had defied her in the first place?!

Reminded of the bulge of Grief Seeds in the girl's uniform pocket, she knelt down and reached her hand in the pocket, grabbing hold of the good handful the knight had been keeping for herself. Right. She just needed more Grief Seeds…that was all…

"Sayaka-chan? Are you over here?" A small, high voice resounded through the skies, bouncing off the alley walls, causing the redhead to stop short. She recognized that bubbly tone of voice…the Rosy Magical Girl was in the area. A sharp gasp of horror caused Kyouko to turn her head to face the source, scarlet pools meeting with terror-stricken rose. "Ah…if it isn't Rosy." She commented in an ominously calm tone, rising to her feet, head tilted slightly to the side. Madoka's eyes flitted between the cold eyes of the redhead, down to the blue-haired corpse by her side, and back up to the redhead again. "Sayaka-chan…" She took note of the handful of Grief Seeds in Kyouko's hand, her pink eyes narrowing in anger. "You…how could you…!? I thought we had a deal!"

A scoff escaped the redhead's lips, as she made to grip the back of Sayaka's uniform shirt, lifting her up like a rag doll. "Tell that to her. See this huge pile of Grief Seeds here? She was greedily keeping them for herself, and didn't even care how many Grief Seeds she gathered up! Talk about spite, don't you think?" A cruel smile played upon her hardened features, one hand pocketing the Grief Seeds in her hoodie while the other threw Sayaka's lifeless form toward the pink-haired girl. "Well, look where that spite got her. Guess the new rookie wasn't really all that, was she?"

Madoka quickly made to catch the girl's cold body before it hit the ground, holding her in her arms like she was a precious porcelain doll that could shatter at any moment. "Just for that…just because she wouldn't hand over any Grief Seeds…you killed her…?" Kyouko subconsciously placed her hand against the wall, steadying herself. She could force herself to stay strong, but she still needed support due to her fatigue and weakness. In her state, she probably couldn't take a battle against the pink-haired girl. She needed to diffuse this situation with reason. "Didn't I tell you before?" She retorted with a grimace. "If I find out any of you are hoarding any Grief Seeds for yourself, that you'd better watch your backs? Well, guess what. Little Miss Justice over here was spitefully hoarding all the Grief Seeds. And when I called her out on it, you know what she said?" She rolled her shoulders with the pretense of playing the predator, when in truth she was merely masking the wave of dizziness she felt that caused her to sway a little. "She started going on about how she would never listen to the selfish demands of a demon like me." A cruel cackle escaped her lips. "How conceited can she be?!" Madoka's eyes widened with horror and disgust at the girl's cruel laughter ringing through the air. She was a madwoman; insane! Instead of thinking to talk it out, or even discuss the issue, she just mercilessly killed Sayaka? And she was…LAUGHING about it!?

The laughter continued on uncontrollably for a few moments, leaving Madoka in her tracks, slowly setting Sayaka to the ground as she rose to her feet, eyes on the redhead. Then, in an instant, Kyouko lowered her head, all laughter disappearing, her posture growing eerily still. With a low, unreadable tone, she uttered, "So I got rid of her." Madoka stared in shock at her, fists clenching tightly until they shook with bottled up rage, eyes to the ground. "Just for that, you…you killed my friend…" She spoke in a low tone, hints of rage slipping into her voice. "I wanted to try to understand you…but an action like that…" She raised her head up to face the scarlet Magical Girl, venom in her tone. "Something like that, I will NEVER forgive!" She yelled, throwing her hand out to the side, calling forth her bow with a pink glow. "Prepare yourself, Sakura Kyouko!"

Shoot. Kyouko didn't plan to really fight anyone at this point. As a matter of fact, she hadn't planned on killing any of the girls in the first place. Her body felt too weak to really engage in anything that strenuous, but when the knight came right up to her, and conceitedly threw out beliefs of justice and how demons like her didn't deserve Grief Seeds…well, thanks to the voice in Kyouko's head, she saw red. She really should have taken more control over the situation. Gritting her teeth at the sight of the fiery arrow aimed her way, the redhead knew she had no choice but to fight. She brought this on herself, after all. "I did say this partnership greatly depended on your guys' cooperation," She repeated as she summoned a crimson spear in her grasp, the crimson slowly dispersing to form the gold-handled spear she usually fought with. "But clearly, you're not going to take note of that, are you; because it was YOUR friend. New flash, Rosy: This is strictly business; nothing personal!" She forced herself to take a fighting stance, ignoring the wave of nausea which threatened to knock her over.

Strange, Madoka thought as she locked on to her opponent, the redhead seemed just a little bit paler than usual. Maybe it was the lighting, or maybe she just hadn't really gotten a good look at the girl's complexion before, but she seemed almost ghastly, like she hadn't slept in days. She narrowed her eyes, grip tightening on the bow. No. She couldn't show compassion toward this redhead. Not after what she did to Sayaka. The redhead looked ready to move at a moment's notice, but she also appeared just a bit sluggish, as well. As much as Madoka hated to think it, she could use this weakness to her advantage. Aim…and strike! She released her hold on the arrow, watching as it soared toward the redhead.

As expected, Kyouko immediately moved to avoid the attack, yet her movements were a bit slower; the arrow grazed her arm, causing the scarlet Magical Girl to wince in pain as she leapt into the air, preparing a dive toward the pink-haired girl. Rose eyes narrowed with anticipation. She could sense the redhead's movements a little better now, she noticed. She wasn't as crafty; was she not thinking as clearly? Taking into account the direction the spear was facing, she prepared herself to leap out of the way, noting the force of the dive wasn't as strong. Just a few feet before the spear came her way, Madoka leapt out of range, preparing another fiery arrow as she sailed through the air.

Kyouko couldn't think straight. She really shouldn't have been fighting. What she should've been doing was looking for sustenance aside from Grief Seeds, and getting proper rest. Even with a gleaming Soul Gem, Kyouko felt dizzy and sick to her stomach, as she had when she first experienced starvation.

Why was she fighting? Why was she hunting?

It took a bit for Kyouko to register the fiery arrow sailing her way. When she did, she had little to no time to react, so she chose to move into position so that if the arrow struck anything, it didn't strike anything fatal. She threw herself to the side, allowing the arrow to pierce through her lower abdomen. She gasped with pain, doubling over to the ground, feeling involuntary shudders wrack her weak form from the blow. Sensing the Rosy Magical Girl coming her way, she summoned up a diamond-linked barrier to block any further attacks. With extra effort, she allowed the barrier to curl in around her, acting as a dome to protect her from all angles. It was all she could do in her present state, and even that wouldn't hold out forever.

"Coward!" Madoka cried out, rage clear in her tone, preparing another arrow. "Come out here and face what you've done!" She paused for a moment, allowing herself to think through the situation. She could shoot arrow after arrow, but that girl could just keep recalling more barriers. At this point, she needed a skill that would mercilessly come down on her at full force, so she didn't have time to bring up another barrier. Her eyes lit up, though just for a moment. Her ultimate skill, the one Sayaka had endearingly referred to as the Rain of Arrows. "So be it, then..." She muttered darkly, aiming the arrow up into the sky, channeling a different force through her bow to bring forth the ultimate spell.

Scarlet eyes widened at the sight through the diamond-links. This was it, she realized. She was done for. The Rosy Magical Girl was close to evenly matched on a good day, and Kyouko could barely think straight right now. With her helpless, the rain of arrows Rosy performed during their last major battle would wipe her out for sure. Inhaling sharply through her teeth, Kyouko lowered her head in defeat, eyes fluttering softly shut as she left herself at the mercy of the impending doom to come. She deserved it. She was a murderer, after all.

And then…time seemed to stop to a halt.

Scarlet eyes peeked open, still awaiting the rain of arrows that would inevitably shatter her barrier and tear her body to shreds. But it never came. She looked up to see a portion of her barrier had been broken open, and her injured arm was being held up by a raven-haired figure. The sight of royal-blue pools caused Kyouko to blink in surprise. "Wha…you…?"

Akemi Homura turned to face her, disappointment evident on her pale features. "I didn't expect you to actually kill Miki Sayaka, Sakura Kyouko." She chastised, reaching over and pulling the redhead to her feet, taking note of the involuntary stumble from the slightly shorter girl. "But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Come; Madoka isn't herself right now. And I can't afford to lose any allies against Walpurgisnacht." She glanced back at the blue-haired corpse. "Well, any more of them." She added sadly. Kyouko blinked a few times to gather her surroundings. "How…" She breathed, wincing in pain from the pressure in her lower abdomen. Really, it would've been best to avoid any injury at all, but beggars couldn't be choosers. "How did you…?"

"I'll explain later. For now, get out of here. I'll see what I can do to diffuse the anger in Madoka." She pulled the redhead out of the diamond-linked dome, leading her over to the end of the alleyway, out of sight of the pink-haired girl. "As soon as you can, I want you to move as far away from here as possible." She advised the redhead, looking back toward the pink-haired Magical Girl, her body still arched back as she aimed her arrows for the skies. The rage was still evident in her normally soft eyes, Homura noted sadly. It was a vast difference from the sweet, compassionate Madoka she always knew.

Kyouko stared with suspicion at the raven-haired girl; everything around them had stopped moving. Was this what made her an anomaly, as Kyuubey had stated before? The landscape around them, and even the Rosy Magical Girl was still as a statue, and slightly less saturated. Homura took note of her gaze; even now, the redhead was looking at her with distrust. Well, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her. Kyouko was in grave danger of getting killed, back there.

Wait. She raised a raven brow in confusion. Wouldn't this normally build trust between them? Yet, Sakura Kyouko still had eyes of fear and distrust, like a threatened animal. Well, she would have to worry about Kyouko's unpredictable behavior at a later time. Now, she had another person to calm down, before her despair became too great. With a shove, she forced the redhead out of sight. As soon as she left Homura's contact, the redhead grew still as a statue, her frozen eyes still wrought with mistrust as she stared over her shoulder at the raven-haired girl. Homura turned away from the shorter girl, making her way instead to the pink-haired archer frozen in place, the fallen knight on the ground by her side. Once in place, Homura proceeded to turn the shield on her arm, allowing time to resume once more.

Madoka got ready to release hold of the arrow, to send down the rain of fiery destruction upon the redheaded demon hidden within the confines of the diamond-linked barrier. Yet, as she caught sight of the opening in the barrier, with no redhead in sight, she powered down her attack, lowering her bow as she stared incredulously at the space the scarlet Magical Girl once was. "What…where did she go?" She muttered under her breath in contemplation, the rage still obvious in her tone of voice. Pink eyes widened with realization, and she turned on the heel of her loafer, eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of the raven-haired intruder. "Homura-chan…" She said, recalling her bow in a pink light. "Did you happen to see where Sakura Kyouko-san went?" She turned fully around, facing the taller girl.

"Sakura Kyouko is no longer in this area." Homura calmly stated, all the while glancing at the diamond-linked barrier as it dispersed into a red glow, fading away into nothingness. "Madoka." She closed her eyes softly, preparing herself for the uncharacteristic rage from the pink-haired girl. "I understand you're upset by what she did to Miki Sayaka." She glanced to the side, eyes peering open sadly. "I had…hoped that we could avoid such violence, but it turns out it was inevitable." If only things had been more like other timelines…she could have predicted where they would be, and intercepted before Kyouko had the chance to kill the blue-haired knight. Yet, everything was wrong. Tomoe Mami was gone long before she'd even arrived, Madoka had contracted long before she usually did…and Sakura Kyouko was already occupying this territory, seeming more unhinged and full of greed than usual. It perplexed her, honestly. She shook her head, looking back at the shorter girl. "But now's not the time to focus on grudges. Walpurgisnacht is appearing at the end of this month; we have to prepare for its coming, and use our combined strength to defeat it before it has the chance to destroy this city. Once we've finished with that, then you may continue with your battle against Sakura Kyouko, and settle your disputes. But right now, we need her experience and strength."

"So, what?" Madoka spat out, uncharacteristically swinging her arm out to the side in anger, a stomp from her foot to match her mood. "You're telling me to let bygones be bygones, and work with the murderer of my best friend!?" She shook her head violently. "I couldn't do that, Homura-chan! It'd be a mockery of Sayaka-chan's name to work with that redheaded demon after what she did! I would sooner the two of us face Walpurgisnacht alone than work with a traitor!" Royal-blue eyes narrowed darkly. "I told you before, didn't I? I actually don't WANT you to fight against Walpurgisnacht." She stepped back from the pink-haired girl. "If you're going to be so stubborn about working against an experienced veteran when the entire city is on the line, then I suggest you stay out of this battle, and leave US to fight Walpurgisnacht on our own. That way, you wouldn't even have to worry about handing out some of your Grief Seeds to her, since you would no longer be affiliated with her." She glanced down at the blue-haired corpse. "Would THAT satisfy yours and Miki Sayaka's grudge against the 'redheaded demon'?"

Madoka stepped back in disbelief, pink eyes wide and shaking. "Homura-chan…you're still going to work with someone like her? B-But…you don't even know if you can trust her! She could try to kill you, next! I don't want that to happen to you!" Homura stepped closer to the pink-haired girl again, movement aggressive, a hand gripping roughly onto her shoulder, causing Madoka to cry out in surprise. "If you're really so worried about that…then I suggest you remain on her good side. Keep doling out every other of your Grief Seeds. Keep cooperating, so she'll have your back against Walpurgisnacht." She raised her head, a cold expression on her face. "If you don't want to risk fighting with an insane Magical Girl, then let me ease your worries. Sakura Kyouko is weak right now. If she tries to attack me from behind in her current state, I could easily take her down without a struggle." She was, however, going to need to make sure she was strengthened for the battle against Walpurgisnacht. Maybe she would understand this timeline's Kyouko a little better if she offered room and board in exchange for her services. "So decide now, Kaname Madoka."

"Will you fight, or will you remain on the sidelines?"

Madoka drew in a breath, stepping back and out of Homura's grip, her eyes full of uncertainty. Slowly but surely, rose pools softened back to the eyes of the Madoka that Homura was familiar with. If she didn't fight, she couldn't help defend the city both she and Sayaka loved so much. And she wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Sakura Kyouko's actions. "I'll…fight." She forced out, teeth clenched in frustration. "I still have a duty to protect this city. Besides, I don't want my family and friends to be in danger. And…" She glanced down at Sayaka's lifeless form. "It's what Sayaka-chan would want."

Homura frowned at the girl's response. "I see." She muttered. "I'm glad you're willing to settle your differences for a common enemy, at least." She glanced down at the corpse, pity cutting through her emotionless mask. "If you…need help with…" Madoka shook her head, eyes hidden by her bangs. "I'm fine. You better go, Homura-chan. I'm sure you have things to discuss with…" She clenched her fists tight before quickly kneeling down and wrapping her arms around Sayaka's cold body. "Well, good luck." She muttered quietly, rising to her feet, feeling all too burdened with the weight of Sayaka's death on her shoulders. How was she supposed to explain this to everyone? To Sayaka's parents? To her own parents? What could she say? Shaking her head, she proceeded to make her way down the alley, holding Sayaka close, providing heat to her forever cold form as the two of them faded out of view.

Homura watched them go, releasing a burdened sigh. She'd managed to keep Madoka's despair levels in check, for the time being. The pink-haired girl was level-headed; she would know to cleanse her Soul Gem in her current state of mind.

The real problem now was Sakura Kyouko. She needed to find her and keep her in her sights, before she started acting more unpredictably than she already had. Turning on her heel, the raven-haired Magical Girl proceeded to make her way down the path she'd made the redhead go, hoping that she hadn't strayed too far.

* * *

 _ **Coward! Hiding away in fear from your enemies; we could've taken her!**_

No. No, they couldn't. Kyouko gasped for breath, clutching for dear life against the alley walls, the light from the busy streets near in sight. Her vision was blurry, her ears muffled from the pounding in her head. If that Homura hadn't intervened, Kaname Madoka would have killed her right then and there. And she had every right to do so. As conceited as the knight had been, Kyouko had no right to run her through the way she did. She wasn't thinking, as usual; just like when she had killed Mami. "Kch…" She clenched her fanged teeth tight, feeling a slight tear in her gums from the canines, droplets of blood dribbling from her mouth. Reminded of her injury, she glanced down at her lower abdomen, taking note of the enormous blood stain blooming across the right side of her teal hoodie. She couldn't really heal; she'd never really had the talent to even conjure anything more than a warmth spell, so there wasn't really any way for her to slow the bleeding. Her injuries, coupled with her fatigue and hunger, would normally have left a human being unconscious.

But she wasn't a human being. She was a Witch. Branded as such by her own Father the day her first wrongdoings had been discovered. Now, instead of spreading her curse through her Father's preaching, she spread them through the tears and blood of humans and Magical Girls alike. A pained grimace donned her soft features contorted with grief.

 _ **Why should we be so ashamed of who we are? We're above all those lowly humans that would never even bat an eye at our previous suffering!**_

Previous? No. She was pretty sure she was still suffering. Her breaths grew more shallow and frantic, and she slid against the alley wall onto the ground, blood streaked across the brick surface. She couldn't think. She couldn't see. She could barely hear, and she could scarcely feel. Her body was slowly going into shock from the overwhelming senses, right when she needed to remain conscious the most. At the very least, she needed to bandage up her injuries, so that it would heal at a natural pace.

"There you are." A cool voice resounded, causing scarlet pools to shoot open in fear and alarm, a sharp gasp escaping the redhead's lips. With a start, she jerked her head towards the source of the voice, to her right. The sight of black leggings adorned with purple diamond links greeted her faded sight. She slowly raised her head, looking up at the royal-blue pools staring down at her. "You…" She steeled herself, gripping the wall for support as she forced herself to her feet, wincing from the effort. "What do you want?!"

Homura reached out a hand and grabbed hold of the girl's wrist, pulling her away from the wall, eliciting a gasp of alarm from the redhead. "I want to help you. I meant it before when I said I wanted your help against Walpurgisnacht. To that end, I wish to offer my assistance to you in whatever way is needed." She shook her head. "You won't stand a chance against Walpurgisnacht in this state, after all." Her fingers ran along Kyouko's wrist, taking note of how thin and bony it felt. "It bothers me…I've rarely seen you eating anything." She muttered with concern. Kyouko stared with wide eyes at the slightly taller female, tugging weakly against the girl's grip, to no avail. She usually prided herself in being a physically powerful Magical Girl, to make up for her lack in magic skills.

Had she really fallen that far?

"L-Let go of me!" She yelled, tugging evermore against Homura's hold, but the raven-haired girl held firm. "I won't. I'm taking you home, where you can find shelter and nourishment. If you wish to fight against me all the while, you can do so." She narrowed her eyes sadly. "But I doubt it would do you much good at this time." She proceeded to reach over, lifting the redhead off the ground and into a princess hold, Kyouko all the while kicking and protesting against her actions, as she then proceeded to leap into the air, landing onto a rooftop before continuing onto the next rooftop, repeating the cycle until she made it across town to a quieter, smaller part of town. It wasn't really a shady part of town, but it also wasn't an area of high income, either. It was simply a humble area, with a house or apartment complex here or there, and some Mom and Pop stores on the sides. Homura's heels clicked against the pavement as she landed onto the ground, looking towards a house in the distance; it didn't really stand out from the rest, but it had a sort of mysterious aura to it all the same, just like the owner of that house. As she made her way closer to the abode, the redhead in tow, Kyouko took note of a simple nameplate attached just next to the door: Akemi Homura.

Once they were inside, once they had passed the rather plain-looking halls and tatami-mat rooms, and shuffled into a vast space of white nothingness…only then did Homura set the redhead back onto her feet. "Wait here," She instructed, straightening herself out. As she did, she took note of the blatant blood stain on her Magical Girl attire that had bled through the redhead's worn clothes. "I'll go get you a first aid kit…and a change of clothes." She turned on her heel, making her way through a door which seemed to appear and vanish into thin air. Kyouko watched her go, shakily stepping back towards the cushions, never taking her eyes off where she last saw the girl. Especially when one was injured, they needed to keep their guard up at all times. She glowered at the space the door once was, rocking back and forth on the cushion, never tearing her eyes off the space even as her eyes grew heavy, and the world around her slowly faded into darkness.

* * *

Scarlet eyes snapped open at the sensation of tugging at her side, and she glanced over with alarm at the source. Homura stared down at her, a roll of bandages in her hand as she carefully finished with the wrapping. A bloodstained teal hoodie and black shirt lay to the side in a heap; most likely they would be put in for wash later. "I see you're awake." The raven-haired girl commented, finishing up with administering the bandages to Kyouko's waist before proceeding to cut off another strip, proceeding to wrap the injury on her arm. "You look exhausted. Perhaps you should allow yourself a little bit more of a break." Kyouko stared with wide eyes at the raven-haired girl, before looking down at herself, taking note of her condition. She was still bleeding pretty badly, she noted from the stains forming on the bandages even as they were being wrapped. Luckily, she could see as she surveyed the rest of her bare torso, nothing else was too badly damaged. She estimated it would probably be a week, maybe a week and a half, before she could start to operate at full strength again. It was a minor setback, and a real inconvenience since they had to train for Walpurgisnacht, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. "So you…you're not mad or disillusioned with me for what I did to Miki Sayaka?" She questioned, noting that despite her moment of weakness, Homura didn't try to get her while she was still down.

"Miki Sayaka was a fool." Homura simply stated, finishing up with the bandages before standing up, reaching over and grabbing hold of a simple white t-shirt. "She jumped to conclusions too quickly without assessing the situation, and didn't even think rationally about the circumstances. I may not know all the details, but I'm guessing that she had deliberately gone against your deal?" She handed the t-shirt to the redhead, glancing away to give her some semblance of privacy.

Kyouko glanced silently at the shirt before taking it in hand, proceeding to carefully pull it over herself to cover her frighteningly thin form, trying her best not to take notice of the ribs showing against her skin. "Yeah. That's exactly what she did." She shook her head. "Thinking back on it, I may have been a little aggressive, myself. I mean, I could have solved it without killing her." Homura sighed, shaking her head. "It's hard to say for sure. The point is, she's now dead. No amount of contemplation will change that. Whatever trust Madoka ever had for you is now long gone, and it's only through a hair's breadth that I kept her from diving forth to try to kill you. She's even still willing to put forth the effort to work with you against Walpurgisnacht." Royal-blue eyes narrowed. "But that still doesn't change the fact that you made a foolish decision, Sakura Kyouko. You nearly jeopardized our entire partnership, destroying all the work we've put into making this truce. It'd be wise of you to watch your actions the next time someone sets you off."

"I know." Scarlet eyes glanced quietly to the side, regret pouring from her very being. "I killed someone close to her, and now she'll never forgive me. I did something similar to another person I knew before, too…" A wry chuckle escaped her lips. "Well, that person isn't around anymore, either…" Homura frowned with confusion. What was she talking about? "I…see. Well, as I said, what you've done can't be undone. You will have to live with the consequences of your actions, and face what you've done. Only then can you hope for Madoka's forgiveness."

 _ **Forgiveness? We don't want anyone's forgiveness. You don't DESERVE anyone's forgiveness.**_

Scarlet eyes grew downcast, hidden by parted bangs as she refused to meet Homura's eyes. "Yeah." She mumbled quietly. "I know." Images of blood, the silhouette of a hanging man, the crazy eyes of enchanted followers, and Mami's smiling face strewn with red stains flashed through her mind. Unaware of the redhead's inner conflict, Homura began to turn on her heel, making her way toward the kitchen. "I'm going to prepare something for you to eat; you're going to need your energy to fight." She turned the corner, the last strands of raven hair disappearing out of sight from Kyouko's view. The redhead glanced sidelong at where she disappeared to, before looking down at where fresh blood stains were already bleeding through the t-shirt she had been provided.

She was hungry…so hungry, and so tired. But she knew, the instant she would taste ash in her mouth, that whatever she was given would just come right back up, as it had before.

* * *

"…Beloved by many friends and family alike, the ever-cheerful Miki Sayaka was a beacon of hope to those who knew her."

Kaname Madoka felt numb to the world around her. She'd already made sure to cleanse her Soul Gem, so she knew it wasn't an effect of magic depletion, but all the same her surroundings felt muffled and surreal. Sayaka was dead. That was a fact. She had been the one to bring the girl's body to the police station, unshed tears in her eyes as she presented Sayaka's cold form, explaining that she had found the girl lifeless on the ground. It was all she could say.

The cause of death was unknown. People assumed that she had been lynched by gang members on the way home from school, perhaps, but there were no injuries on her body to suggest such a thing. The most people could think was that, somehow, the active girl had suffered from a heart attack, as no other cause of death could have been inferred.

Sakura Kyouko was good at what she did, Madoka grimly noted in wry admiration. Aiming strictly for the Soul Gem and avoiding all further injury to the fallen knight's body, she'd made sure her death had been quick. Madoka pursed her lips together. One might have almost thought the redheaded demon had been merciful, considering the fact the scarlet female had been known for her bloodlust in previous circumstances. But she wouldn't thank her. She refused to thank her for killing Sayaka. Her teeth clenched in frustration, ears growing numb to the speaker's words which attempted to uplift everyone.

How could she be uplifted? How could she just sit there and agree that Sayaka's passing was inevitable? Sure, Sayaka was a Magical Girl; she would likely have met her end against a Witch if not for Sakura Kyouko's meddling. But she had only just contracted a few days ago! She still had so much to live for, and yet…she glanced solemnly up at the picture of her best friend. Miki Sayaka's face smiled back at her, forever frozen in that neat, proper position. No hint of her goofiness or playful attitude showed in that still frame. Honestly, Sayaka never liked that picture of her, the one that made her look too much like a proper lady. Absently, the pink-haired girl held her hand up, glancing into the pink gem embedded onto her ring, eyes narrowed with grim determination. 'Only for you, Sayaka-chan…only for you will I work with that girl long enough to protect this city against Walpurgisnacht…'

'Then…I swear I will avenge you!'

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that went downhill quickly. They're still working together, sort of, but now Sayaka's gone. I suppose that's what happens when her usual stubbornness meets with Kyouko's mental instability. Well, I suppose this is as bad as things can go from here.**

 **Or is it?**

 **As usual, all comments and criticism is accepted. Any predictions from here on out would be fun to read, as well.**

 **Until next chapter, then!**


	5. Chapter 5: Relapse

" _Sakura-san…" The sweet, bell-like voice of the blonde rang through the air as Tomoe Mami stepped up beside the frisky redhead, an amused smile fixed upon her fair features as she looked at the precarious state her junior was in. "What have we learned this time around?"_

" _Guh…" Kyouko groaned in defeat, glancing helplessly at the ground just a few feet from where she dangled. "To calculate your movements, and not move around so recklessly…?" She sighed, struggling for a minute more before giving up, allowing herself to follow the path of gravity. There were times the redhead wished she were heavier, stronger…maybe even more shapely, like her Sempai. At least then, she wouldn't be easily swung around like a twig in an imaginary sword-fight. "Hau…" She sighed, glancing at the upside-down senior staring with amusement at her. "Okay, okay, I've learned my lesson. Can I get down now?"_

 _A soft giggle, followed by the snapping of fingers, and Sakura Kyouko found herself unceremoniously dropped to the ground. "Kyaa!" She cried out in surprise, her face meeting with the soft dirt, nevertheless feeling disgruntled by the indignity. Gold eyes shimmered with mischief back at her. "Well, you didn't expect me to unrealistically go easy on you, did you? That's not how it works in real battles. In a real battle, you have to…"_

 _Go all out, and show no mercy._

 _Blood trickled down the blade of Sakura Kyouko's spear, as she stared with wide-eyed horror at what she'd done. Fragments of topaz scattered like confetti down the blonde's head, gold eyes still wide with shock, her pupils slowly losing focus as life drained from her eyes, the control of her body losing out as her shapely form fell with a thud to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had been cut._

" _Mami…san…"_

Scarlet hair fell forward in a frenzy as Sakura Kyouko threw herself into a sitting position, frantically gasping for air, eyes wide and shaking with an array of emotions. As she gradually collected herself, she began to notice she wasn't outside. No, she wasn't even in the white-walled labyrinth she'd first been placed in. Looking around cautiously, the redhead found herself to be in what looked like a fairly simple bedroom; only a twin-sized bed, a drawer by the bedside, and a desk across the way really served as furniture in the small space. Scarlet eyes narrowed, squinting to get a better look at the desk. Slumped in the chair right by it, resting on the desk's surface, was the raven-haired girl who had intervened and saved her life. "Homura…" She muttered, slowly slipping out of the blanket and placing a cautious foot onto the carpeted floor. Carefully and quietly, she made her way closer to the younger girl, looking her over to gauge whether or not she was really a threat. After all, she'd helped her out in her time of need.

 _ **But all Magical Girls are threats to us!**_

Not true. Mami was never actually a threat, and this girl actually saved her life. If anything, Kyouko was the dangerous one for overreacting and creating so many enemies. She was the one who needlessly attacked the Rosy Magical Girl, and killed off the azure knight.

 _ **That's because they're all obstacles! They gather up all OUR Grief Seeds!**_

No! She was tired of hearing this over and over again. Grief Seeds may have been her only solace in the past, but she didn't want to grow mad with consumption over them! It already drew her to kill her only remaining family! She didn't want to lose any more! She clenched her teeth tightly, fighting the wave of nausea that threatened to knock her over once more.

"Mmm…" Royal-blue pools fluttered softly open as Homura rose from the desk, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Taking note of the shadow being cast over her she turned her head to the source, spotting the rather distressed-looking redhead. "Kyouko…you're awake." She remarked, slipping out of the chair and taking hold of the girl by the arms, keeping her steady. "You've been in bed for a couple days, now. After you were collapsed on the sofa for over one day, I found it best to move you into the bedroom, where you wouldn't be as stiff when you awoke." She glanced with concern over the scarlet female's injuries. "Are you...feeling any better?"

"Hungry, mainly." Kyouko admitted, secretly thankful for the support the raven-haired girl offered. "Thanks…y'know, for helping me out and stuff." She glanced to the side. "I mean, I know you just need me as an ally against Walpurgisnacht, but it…kinda feels refreshing." She pushed gently out of her grip, forcing herself to remain upright on her own. "In this line of business, you don't really get many Magical Girls who look out for each other." She grit her teeth. "Especially after that Magical Girl's been so messed up towards you guys." She released a sigh of defeat, glancing toward Homura with shaking eyes, a mix of emotions that she couldn't even keep track of.

Frankly, she felt lost. She'd followed her drive to live for so long, she'd begun losing sight of who she used to be…or who she even was anymore.

"I'll get you some food ready, then." Homura nodded in acknowledgement. "It's good to see that you're doing better, even if just a little bit." She began to turn on her heel. A grim thought occurred to her: She needed to make amends with Madoka still; now seemed as good a time as any. "After you eat, I want you to head to the Mitakihara cemetery." As the raven-haired girl turned the corner, her words cut deep into the redhead.

"Madoka will be there."

Kyouko flinched at the mention of the pink-haired girl's name. Even if she'd been told that the girl was still willing to work with her, it didn't change the fact that she could never be forgiven for killing the girl's best friend. Shaking her head sadly, Kyouko cautiously made her way back to the bed, climbing onto the mattress and taking a seat. She still felt light-headed, but at least she could somewhat think straight, now. She was sure, once she actually got something in her system, that she would be feeling a lot better. "I…don't know how I'm gonna make it up to Rosy…" She mumbled sadly to herself, eyes downcast and glancing off to the side morosely. "But, I gotta at least try…"

 _ **For the last time…we don't NEED anyone else!**_

Kyouko grit her teeth with a mixture of pain and frustration. On top of everything else…she needed to figure out how to get the darn voice to go away. She reached her hands slowly to her ears, hoping to drown out the incessant badgering. She may have been on her own before, but she didn't need to be anymore!

 _ **Oh, so a murderer like you deserves company, now?**_

The voice was mocking, haughty.

 _ **Not just all your family, you went out of your way to kill the other girl, too. And rightly so! She totally deserved it after taking OUR Grief Seeds-**_

"I don't wanna hear it anymore!" Kyouko hissed, pressing her hands firmly against her ears, knees brought up tight against her chest. "I don't wanna kill anyone else!"

 _ **You don't have a choice.**_

The redhead shook her head frantically in response.

 _ **You'll kill and kill, all for the sake of protecting yourself from being killed.**_

No, she wouldn't! She refused to fall to her instincts anymore, if this was what it brought her!

 _ **You'd be nothing without me, you know that. Without me to guide you, you would have been killed long ago…**_

… _ **Because you're just. That. Weak.**_

Scarlet eyes squeezed shut, red locks flailing wildly as Kyouko continued shaking her head in protest. Make it stop! Make it go away! "Get away from me…!" She cried weakly, rocking quietly back and forth to try to give herself comfort. The voice inside her head cackled in response.

 _ **Get away? Nice try, but you'll never be rid of me. You and I, we're one. Without me, there's no you.**_

"You're not me…" She mumbled darkly, nails digging into the sides of her face, a dull sting in the background where a thin trickle of blood formed. "I don't need you…"

"Kyouko?" a cool, concerned voice snapped the redhead out of her thoughts, her head jerking up in response to face the raven-haired girl. Homura frowned, stepping carefully closer to the shorter girl, holding out a bowl of soup. "It's not much, I'm afraid…I'm not the best when it comes to cooking. But if you haven't eaten in a while, you wouldn't want anything too heavy right now, anyway." Kyouko quietly nodded, reaching out her hands and taking the bowl deftly in her hold. She stared down at it as if it were a foreign object before straightening herself out, adjusting the bowl so she held it with one hand, reaching for the spoon with the other. With uncertain motions, she slowly brought the soup to her mouth, clamping her trembling lips over the silverware before she pulled it away, setting the bowl onto the drawer serving as an end table to the side while she took in the mouthful. Her pale fingers clutched tightly against the bedding; she could already feel a strong bout of nausea. Forcing herself to swallow the mouthful of soup, she could taste the distinct memory of ash as it went down her throat. Her breathing grew ragged, tremors wracking her thin form as she hugged her knees against her chest, head rested gently atop.

"Are you okay?" Homura asked in concern, staring worriedly at the girl's unusual behavior. She expected the girl to be scarfing down the contents, and she would have to tell her to slow down. And yet…she seemed more wary of food, like she was trying to keep down what little she had. Looking at the girl, she noticed her face took on a sickly complexion, as if she was going to…royal blue eyes blinked with surprise and concern as she saw the redhead clamp her hands over her mouth, trembling violently. "K-Kyouko?" As soon as the words left her mouth, the redhead slipped off the bed in a hurry, hands still clamped tightly around her mouth as she stumbled out of the room and around the corner. The raven-haired girl followed after, her thin lips marred with worry for the girl. As she stepped into the bathroom, she spotted the shorter redhead hugging the sink, retching and coughing violently into it. Homura's eyes widened with realization. She…couldn't keep down any of her food?! "Kyouko!" She cried out with greater concern, stepping lightly over to her side, placing a hand on her back and gently rubbing it. "I-It's okay…you're going to be okay…" She wasn't sure how much good this would do her, of course. She could still feel the girl's ragged breathing even as she threw up the contents of the little bit of soup she had.

Once Kyouko had finally emptied out the little bit of food from her stomach, along with a mix of blood and bile, she raised her head back up, reaching to wipe the contents off her mouth with the back of her arm. Homura quickly intervened, using a warm, damp rag she prepared in the bathtub and gently wiping her face. "How long has this been going on?" Homura asked, adjusting the rag as she worked, using an unused portion to give a general wipe-down. The redhead stared quietly into the sink, eyes dull and unresponsive. Slowly and without much energy, she turned the faucet, watching as the contents went down the drain. "A little while, I suppose…" She mumbled quietly. If Homura hadn't been right by her, she wouldn't have heard what the shorter girl said. "Do you know how this first started?" The raven-haired girl questioned, pulling the rag away and using the water from the sink to rinse it off before wringing it out, throwing it into the hamper. She then proceeded to start washing her hands. "It's not a good thing to starve yourself; intentionally or otherwise, Kyouko." The redhead chuckled bitterly, quickly regretting it. Her throat felt torn up. "I know that." She glanced away in shame, stepping away from the sink. She could feel another wave of dizziness coming on, but she quickly pushed it to the side. "I guess…I'm not gonna be able to eat any more of that soup you made, huh…"

"Not without throwing up one bite's worth, it looks like." Homura nodded in agreement. As important as it was for her to eat, she wasn't able to keep anything down at the moment; all it was accomplishing was tearing up the redhead's throat, creating one more thing for her body to recover from. "You'd best go to the Mitakihara Cemetery now, then. Maybe once you've made amends, your appetite will return." Kyouko shrugged dismissively. "Maybe." She turned on her heel, her movements a little wobbly, as she proceeded to head over to get dressed. Homura followed along; she still needed to get her clothes out of the dryer. What was wrong with Sakura Kyouko this timeline? When she wasn't violent to others, she was violent to herself…

Almost like…she was falling into despair…

* * *

"Sayaka-chan…" Dead pink eyes stared dully at the plaque in front, spelling out in concrete the permanent loss of her friend. It felt like an eternity since she had stood in the crowd, staring at the forever smiling face of the blue-haired girl. But in truth, it was just yesterday. Forever had gone by in the span of three days, and already the pink-haired girl was sick of it. Was this how she was supposed to live on? To forever come by and see the words of her friend, engraved in stone? Absently, Madoka wrapped her arms weakly around her waist. That fun-loving friend of hers, who would always joke about Madoka being her wife…would they never be able to tease each other again? She grit her teeth in anger. At least if Sayaka had died against a Witch, her death wouldn't have been so…

No. She shook her head, eyes narrowed in contemplation. In all honesty, she didn't want her best friend to die at all. If she could help it, it would've been best if Sayaka hadn't been involved in the Magical Girl system in the first place. But try as she might, both she and Sayaka HAD been involved; the moment they stumbled into that Familiar's barrier, there was no going back. She knew the risks, and she knew Sayaka was aware of them. "But that didn't include having to deal with other Magical Girls…" She hissed, fists clenched tightly, trimmed nails lightly grazing the flesh of her palms. "It's not fair…such cruelty, it's too much…"

She sat up straight with a start, pink puppy-tails bobbing with the motion as she looked up, eyes alert and hearing heightened; she'd heard something crack just a few feet away; a twig, maybe? Shoulders tense, she turned on her heel, eyes peering out for any sign of danger. It would've been a low blow for someone to try attacking her at her friend's graveside, but it wasn't impossible. "Is someone there?" She cautiously called out, rose pools darting left and right.

All that seemed to greet her was darkness.

A soft, nearly inaudible sigh of relief escaped the young girl's lips, and she turned back toward the gravestone. Her heart nearly leapt out of its chest, however, when she was greeted with scarlet locks right by the gravestone. "AH!" She yelped with surprise, stepping back a bit before she heightened her guard once more. "You again!?"

"Shh…" The redhead gently placed a finger to her own lips, indicating silence. She turned back toward the gravestone, her eyes marred with regret as she knelt humbly before the site. Closing her eyes softly, the redhead began to mumble quietly under her breath, clasping her hands together. Madoka stared quietly at the girl, suddenly realizing how vulnerable she appeared in that instant. Was she…praying for Sayaka? She frowned with suspicion, uncertain how to feel about the crazed veteran. One moment she was ruthless and cruel, the next…well, if Madoka didn't know any better, she'd have thought the redhead was actually two different people who looked the same.

Once finished, the redhead unclasped her hands, slowly rising to her feet, a final nod of apology and farewell to the gravestone before she turned toward the shorter girl. "…Hey." She mustered, eyes glancing ashamedly to the side. She didn't deserve to stand there. She didn't deserve to ask for forgiveness. And she wouldn't ask for it. "Um…I know you're pretty furious at me for what I did…" She mumbled quietly, scarlet eyes searching for anywhere but Madoka's face. She couldn't look her in the eyes. Madoka glared darkly at her. "I am." She bitterly replied, fists clenched tightly until her knuckles grew white. "I don't think I could ever forgive you for what you did to Sayaka-chan, Sakura Kyouko-san." She turned her head away in disgust; hate pouring from her every being toward the redhead. "In fact, I don't plan to let this sit without repercussion. As soon as Walpurgisnacht has been taken care of, I declare war against you, for what you've done." Slowly, she glanced back over to the redhead. "But I refuse to let the city of Mitakihara suffer for my hatred towards you." She shoved a hand out for a handshake. "So, until then…and only until then…I propose a truce."

Kyouko glanced solemnly at the hand held out in front of her. It was only expected that the shorter girl would be out for revenge. After all, the redhead had already borne hatred between them before she mercilessly killed the blue-haired knight. Whatever ounce of kindness the rosy Magical Girl had even attempted to dish out to her was gone. Slowly, she reached out a hand to take the shorter girl's. She didn't normally do handshakes, but she was out of treats to hand out and she wasn't in a position to do things her own way. "…Alright, then…truce…after Walpurgisnacht, we can continue where we left off." She closed her eyes sadly, her grip loose against the shorter girl's handshake.

As Madoka pulled away, she glanced over the redhead with a scrutinizing gaze. "I just can't understand you, Sakura Kyouko-san…" She remarked, a hint of confusion to her voice. "One moment you don't care what happens to us…and then the next, you feel regretful towards your actions and want to fix things. It's a bit unpredictable, and makes it hard to work with." She shook her head. "I can't tell whether or not I can trust you."

"Just…" Kyouko sighed, stepping away from the gravestone. "Just Kyouko's fine. And that's okay." She chuckled bitterly, wincing from the strain. "I don't know if I can trust myself sometimes, either." She stopped short, a few feet away from the gravestone, her back towards the pink-haired girl. "It's been…interesting, trying to collect myself. I thought I had it all together, but next thing I know I'm proven wrong." She glanced down at the grass. "Killing your friend all of a sudden was one of those instances." Killing Mami was the first time.

It was also the first time she'd heard that voice inside her head.

Madoka frowned, staring at the girl's back with mistrust. "Well, as I said…I can't forgive you."

Just then, the ground beside her began to tremor, catching both Madoka and Kyouko off guard. They whipped around to face the grave, finding a portion of the earth had been broken through. What was it?! What was going on!? "S-Sayaka-chan's…" Madoka cried out in a mix of horror and confusion, stepping back a couple steps before her legs gave out on her, falling on her knees as she stared with wide-eyed horror. Kyouko stepped carefully closer, eyes widened to pinpricks as she lessened the distance. As she came nearer, she could've sworn she heard…groaning?

"Hey, it's dark in here…let me out…!"

Scarlet brows furrowed in confusion and concern. After a moment of hesitation, the redhead stepped toward the gravestone, stopping in front before kneeling over, her ears piqued for any noise.

"Let me out!"

There it was again. The voice of an agitated young female resounded from under the ground of Miki Sayaka's grave. Cautiously, Kyouko reached out a hand toward the ground, as if expecting a hand to break through at any given time. Silly her, what was she thinking? She pulled her hand back. It wasn't like there was a zombie in there or anything-

As if on cue, a gloved hand shot through the soil, causing Kyouko to jump back in surprise and alarm, Soul Gem at the ready as she stared with wide eyes at the sight. What was going on? Were there actually zombies, after all!? But, if this was that rookie knight's grave…she glanced toward Madoka, noting her unreadable expression as she mouthed silently in shock. Three syllables…Sayaka. Whipping her head back around, Kyouko realized with a start that more of the soil had been broken up, and an entire torso was pulling itself out of the ground. The girl's light azure hair was covered with dirt, but otherwise she looked good as new. One thing that struck Kyouko as odd, right off, however…was the fact that the girl was mainly concealed by a dirty white cape. It was definitely Miki Sayaka, all right. And on top of that, she was still transformed.

"I see. I might have expected such a thing to occur." The child-like voice caught the girls' attention, causing Kyouko to look over. Her eyes met with beady red, the silhouette of her furry contractor sitting nearby. Cautiously, Kyouko stepped closer to it. "What 'such a thing' are you talkin' about…?" She questioned it, her tone suspicious. What wasn't it telling her? The creature tilted its head just slightly to the side. Its face came into partial view, the smile never faltering; rather, it felt more like the creature's smile was even wider than usual, as if greatly amused by something. "Miki Sayaka has simply repaired herself, just as any other Magical Girl in her condition might."

"What are you saying, Kyuubey…?" Madoka slowly rose to her feet, her legs wobbly from the shock. "Sayaka-chan…and all other Magical Girls…they can come back?" She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or horrified. On the one hand, Sayaka had returned to them once more! Yet, on the other…what did this say about them?

"Naturally." The creature replied, its eyes closed as it gave a small nod. "So long as the hardware is still intact, in time the Soul Gem will restore itself using the magical energy. Of course, Miki Sayaka will need to replenish her energy, but due to the nature of her wish it did not deplete nearly as much energy as it would for most Magical Girls." Scarlet brows furrowed with suspicion. "Wait…what do you mean by 'hardware'?" The redhead snarled, stepping closer to Kyuubey. For a moment, all pain and fatigue was lost in the midst of her emotions; nothing else mattered, except for the fact that, once again, the darn creature was keeping things from her. She grabbed hold of the scruff of its neck, lifting it unceremoniously into the air, staring at its dangling form with mistrust.

"Madoka?" The blue-haired girl had finished climbing out of the ground, proceeding to brush herself off as she stared quizzically at the sight before her. Her pink-haired friend was staring in shock at her, while in the background that redheaded demon seemed to be interrogating Kyuubey. Azure eyes narrowed. "Hey…YOU!" With a quick nod to Madoka, Sayaka then proceeded to stomp toward the redhead who she remembered she had been fighting last. "What did you do?!" She barked, stopping a few feet away, already manifesting a sword in her hand. Kyouko glanced sidelong at her, eyes narrowed, before she looked back at the creature in her hold. "We've been duped." She remarked, her tone bitter. "Kyuubey's been holdin' out on us. Now, you wanna start explaining what you mean by hardware?"

Kyuubey glanced silently at her for a moment before giving a simple nod. "Very well. Hand over your Soul Gem for a moment, Sakura Kyouko." Kyouko raised an eyebrow at his request, yet released her hold on him and proceeded to morph the Soul Gem into its egg form, kneeling down and setting the gem by the creature's side. "There. Like that?" The creature's smile seemed to grow wider. "That will do just fine." It looked up at the three of them. "What I said before is not a lie. When a contract is formed, your soul is taken out of your body and placed into the Soul Gem, to protect the fragile component of a Magical Girl. This allows you girls to be capable of sustaining otherwise unbearable pain. Naturally, the regular body of a human wouldn't be capable of handling such pain either, so we reform your bodies into one that can sustain both the magical energy you use, as well as sustain any and all injuries you will encounter as a Magical Girl."

"What…?!" Madoka stepped back, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes. Beside her, Sayaka shook her head with disbelief. "So I'm…I'm not even…human anymore…?" She growled, fists clenching by her sides tight against her gloves. "Why would you do something like that!? You tricked us!"

"I did not trick you." Kyuubey tilted his head to the side. "You simply never asked. Now then, there is a logical reason for why we needed to place your souls in a compact form, rather than leave it in your bodies." The creature stepped closer to the fire-red gem lying in the grass. Kyouko's eyes narrowed in suspicion. What was he up to? A white paw hovered over the Soul Gem as Kyuubey continued with his demonstration. "I'm sure you are all aware of how much your body can handle as Magical Girls; how many injuries you can sustain. Magical Girls are capable of sustaining unspeakable pain, but do you really think that would be possible if your soul was still in a human's body?" The paw pressed firmly against the fire-red gem, causing it to glow in response.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. The girls stared down at the creature in confusion at his action. Then Kyouko immediately doubled over, gripping her abdomen in pain. "Ngghhaa!" She cried out, eyes clenched tightly shut as she tried with all her might to endure the agony, to no avail. Why? She had endured all other pain with no problem! She could feel the pink and blue duo's eyes fall on her.

"This is the kind of pain you would encounter if your soul were in its natural state. Even the slightest blow to your stomach would be more than your natural body could bear." Madoka and Sayaka stared in horror at the redhead trembling in the grass, crying out in pain and agony. "You're…" Madoka bit her lip. This girl; she hated her. She wanted her to pay for what she did to Sayaka. Never before had she ever felt such hatred towards a person.

And yet…

"Stop it!" She cried out, rushing toward Kyuubey, tearing him away from the vulnerable gem. "You're hurting her!" At the same time, Sayaka knelt down and scooped up the fire-red Soul Gem from the grass, away from the white creature's reach. "No one deserves that kind of torture!" The blue-haired girl cried out, glancing down, taking note of the redhead's writhing dying down to occasional tremors. "Are you okay?" She knelt down, placing the Soul Gem gently in the redhead's trembling palm.

Kyouko sat in shock, staring blankly at the blades of grass that cradled her. That kind of pain…she'd never encountered it before, and honestly, she hoped she would never have to face it again. Slowly, she forced herself into a sitting position, her breathing heavy and ragged. She could tell that the sharp movements she'd made from doubling over had torn open the wound in her abdomen she'd received from Madoka's arrow a few days ago. Without glancing, she could feel the red stain blooming, bleeding through her ragged hoodie. "So…" She cringed, finding even talking to be more of a chore. "That's why we Magical Girls can endure so much…?"

A white, fluffy tail swished lackadaisically to the side. "Indeed." Kyuubey replied, sitting in place, staring up at the girls. "This is one of the conditions you agreed to when you formed the contract." Sayaka stomped in reply, throwing out her arm in a huff. "We didn't agree to this! Do you really think we would've gone along with your sick deal if we knew THIS was the price?!" The furry creature tilted its head curiously to the side. "Then, you are saying that you would not have made the wish to heal the one you care about? Kaname Madoka would not have saved her friend?" It glanced over to Kyouko. "You would not have dared to make things better for your family?"

Sayaka stopped short, gritting her teeth as she allowed Kyuubey's words to sink in. Kyuubey was right; whether or not she knew all the terms, she couldn't allow Kyousuke to suffer any longer. "That…" She muttered uncertainly, eyes downcast. Madoka's eyes narrowed as she took note of all that Kyuubey said. Of course she could never regret having risked herself to save Sayaka. It was one of the reasons she was so furious about the redhead having killed her. And yet…it looked like, somehow, Magical Girls could not be killed through merely destroying the Soul Gem, as she and Kyouko had previously thought? "If we can't die from having our Soul Gems shattered…then how do we die? Why aren't there more Magical Girls?"

"You gotta destroy not just the Soul Gem, but the body itself, as well." Kyouko mused softly, brows furrowed in contemplation. Wait. But that wasn't right…Mami was still intact, albeit bleeding from the neck. If it was simply a matter of the Soul Gem being repaired…then where was she? Was she, in fact, not dead after all? A small light of hope lit up her otherwise pained features, and she pushed herself until she stood, somewhat uneasily, on wobbly legs. Sayaka turned to face the redhead, eyes hardened with anger. "And I'm sure you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" She began to step closer to the redhead, noticing immediately that the shorter veteran was moving away from them. "HEY! Where do you think you're going?!" Kyouko picked up the pace, holding the precious gem carefully in her hand as she slipped without a word out of the graveyard.

Green-blue boots stomped roughly into the grass. "Dang it! She got away!" Sayaka snarled, frowning even further at the squelch her feet stepped into. She glanced down, noticing a thick red liquid marring the grassy path. So the redhead was injured…good riddance. Maybe the demon would bleed to death somewhere far away from them. Diverting her attention instead to her friend, Sayaka turned to face Madoka. "So, uh…it's a little late…but I guess, somehow, I'm back?" Madoka grimly nodded. "You are…but everyone in school thinks you're dead. I don't know how we're going to handle this." She released a heavy sigh. On the one hand, she was overjoyed to see her friend alive and well. But on the other hand, Sayaka was still dead to the public. She needed to find a place to hide out, and she certainly couldn't go back home or to Madoka's home. "For now…"

"Maybe we should visit Homura-chan about this…"

* * *

A shaky, ragged breath resounded through the night sky.

Sakura Kyouko gasped for air, stopping to rest against the walls of the bridge she and another veteran Magical Girl had once fought on an eternity ago. She slid down onto her rump, staring blankly at the path across from her. She and Mami had last seen each other, here. This was where she'd left her.

This was where she ran from the blonde's cold, dead body.

"But, she was perfectly intact…" She mused in contemplation, eyes glazed in thought. If what Kyuubey said was true, then that meant that despite Tomoe Mami's condition at the end of their battle, she should have still appeared later. Betrayed, and undoubtedly bitter, but alive nonetheless. In fact, if she had come back, then she should have met Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka, and teamed together with them. They should have been her new companions. Everybody would have won. "So, where is she?" Scarlet eyes shook with confusion.

She killed her.

No, she didn't.

But she must have!

But her body was still intact.

Then where was she?!

"Mami-san…" She swallowed a mouthful of something bitter, which tasted vaguely like iron amidst all the ash. The sickly combination became too much, and she quickly threw up the contents onto the floor, breathing heavily as she stared, lost, at the stone pavement. "Where are you…?" She weakly whispered, wiping her mouth with her sleeve as she pulled herself back to her feet. "What would you think, if you saw me in this pathetic state? Would you say 'I told you so'? Would you be disappointed?"

 _ **WHO CARES WHAT SHE THINKS!**_

Kyouko froze in place, scarlet eyes widened to pinpricks. The voice was back, stronger than ever. She could practically feel the world tremor around her at its resonance. Slowly, she raised her hands to her temples, clutching at her head in pain and fear.

 _ **IT'S BETTER IF WE JUST GET RID OF ALL THE COMPETITION!**_

No. Not again. Kyouko would not allow it to take her sister away again. If she found her, then dang it, she would NOT let the voice control her to kill Tomoe Mami again! "S-Stop it…" She whispered, stepping back against the bridge wall, just inches from the thrown up bloody contents on the ground. "I don't need you…" She grit her teeth, jaws clenched so tight she felt like it would snap. With fiery eyes of determination, she threw her arm out in retaliation. "I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE! ALL YOU'VE DONE IS DRAG ME DOWN!" She shook her head frantically. "I can't…I WON'T DO THIS! I WON'T LISTEN TO YOU!"

… _ **You will.**_

The redhead firmly shook her head, body tense yet strong. As weak as the voice made her feel, she refused to yield. Her will was strong.

… _ **You need more Grief Seeds.**_

That again!? The voice was up to its old tricks, making her think that things would be better if she just cleansed herself more than necessary. With a weak laugh, the redhead slowly brought her Soul Gem into view. "I know better than to listen to you. I'm in too much pain right now to feel numb, so that old tactic isn't going…to…" As she brought the gem into view, the words died from her throat. The sight that greeted her was not one she'd wanted to see again. Yet, the dark blood orb dully gleamed back at her, its sickly aura clearly apparent even without taking note of the black cloudy substance lurking in the base of the gem. "Wha…no…!" She choked out, eyes wide with fear.

She didn't want to die. She wanted to live!

 _ **Then we know what we need to do, don't we?**_

Yes…she needed to cleanse it, before it was too late…absently, the redhead reached into her pocket, pulling out the Grief Seed she'd always kept in there, ever since she stumbled upon it so many months ago. A small smile graced the girl's pale lips, glancing down toward the object that would surely bring her solace once more. She felt…a sort of peace, somehow, even before the cleansing; as if she knew right away that everything was going to be alright.

So long as she had Grief Seeds, she wouldn't have to suffer…

Scarlet eyes widened with realization, and she quickly pulled the Grief Seed away. As soon as she did, she could feel her body trembling even harder, the dizziness and fatigue settling in even more. She needed the Grief Seeds…no, she couldn't LIVE without Grief Seeds.

And that was the problem.

She began to shove the Grief Seed into her pocket, when she found herself stopping short; despite the fact that she herself didn't will herself to stop putting the Grief Seed away. Instead, without will or want, Kyouko found herself bringing the Grief Seed nearer again, until it lightly tapped against the Soul Gem. It was as if she was stuck watching a play-by-play, and she had no power to control it…even though it was her body. "H-Hey…stop!" She cried out in protest, struggling to pull the Grief Seed away even as the black tendrils flew out of her darkened Soul Gem. "STOP IT!" She didn't know why, but just the thought of seeing that Grief Seed being used for cleansing brought horror.

 _ **You don't know how to take care of yourself. Therefore, until you figure it out, I'm taking the reins.**_

The redhead stumbled for a moment, struggling to keep her footing, until her eyes fluttered shut, head falling forward as if she'd just fallen asleep. A few moments passed in silence as she stood in place, no sign of movement aside from the black tendrils seeping out of the Soul Gem.

Scarlet eyes shot open, cold and sharp as she straightened herself up, head tilted slightly to the side. She glanced down at the cleansed Soul Gem, a satisfied look on her face, before glancing toward the flower-shaped Grief Seed. It had a lot to give, she noticed. Despite the previous condition of the Soul Gem, the Grief Seed had only been half-spent, yet the fire-red gem gleamed brightly back at her. A cruel smile played on the redhead's lips. It was a shame she couldn't convince herself to start using the Grief Seed before now; so many tough scrapes it could've gotten her out of.

Really, Sakura Kyouko was a fool.

* * *

 _Scarlet eyes shot open with a start as Kyouko looked left and right, head jerking from one direction to the next. Somehow, things felt more watery, more fuzzy than usual. She glanced down at her hand. A sharp gasp escaped her lips when she took note of her transparent, almost ghostly appearance._

" _What…what happened to me?"_

 _She looked back up at the bridge, realizing what seemed so wrong. It was as if she was looking through an aquarium tank; she wasn't actually there!_

" _W-Wait a minute!"_

 _She threw her transparent hand against the glass-like substance._

" _I didn't sign up for this! Let me out of here!"_

 _Her banging grew more incessant, more frantic, as she watched helplessly as the creature in her body proceeded to pocket the Grief Seed before donning her scarlet Magical Girl attire, spear appearing in hand. The creature meant to pick a fight again. She meant to try to kill someone again!_

 _And this time, she didn't have the freedom to stop it! Slumping to the faded ground, Sakura Kyouko grit her teeth in frustration. "Please, set me free…!" She cried weakly, feeling the bitter sting of tears prick the corners of her eyes._

 _Was this karma? Was this how the people felt when her wish was granted?_

 _Was she only getting what she rightly deserved?_

* * *

 **A/N: Aggh. I had this whole spiel about explaining the Soul Gem repairing and everything, and then the computer acted up on me.**

 **Seeing that I'm on a time schedule right now, I'll have to add it all in later.**

 **I'll see you all next time!**

 **Edit: There, I'm off work for today. Now I have time to actually add in what I tried to add before, huff.**

 **So, one of the things about this story, aside from the fact that Magical Girls turn into Witches, is the idea that unless the Soul Gem and the body are both destroyed, the destroyed portion can be restored. It's like what Kyuubey had said in the anime: You can bleed to death and suffer unspeakable torture, but as long as your Soul Gem is intact, you will be just fine. My headcanon is that the same goes in reverse order: So long as the hardware is intact, the Soul Gem has a place to return itself to. Of course, this theory was mainly created when I played Madoka Magica Portable, in the Mysterious Witch's Labyrinth. When a Magical Girl's Soul Gem was shattered by a Familiar, over time it would restore, and the Magical Girl would be up and running again.**

 **I kinda touched on it a little in my previous fanfic I was working on, but this time I really wanted to incorporate the concept. So, there you go.**

 **Now, as for the story...poor Kyouko's been forced back by her own alter-ego! How's about them apples, huh? Meanwhile, Sayaka and Madoka are mad at Kyuubey, but still hate Kyouko for having killed Sayaka before. Oh, right, and Sayaka's publicly deceased, so she can't live among the others. I guess she's going to have to hide out at Homura's. Speakings of, in all the timelines Homura's been through, she'd never run into an instance where the Magical Girl came back to life after their Soul Gem was shattered. This is going to be very staggering for her...**

 **As always, comments and criticism are accepted and loved! I always enjoy hearing your guys' opinions on the matter! ^ ^**

 **Well, until next chapter, then!**


	6. Chapter 6: Bonds

Stocking feet swept across the expansive white flooring as Akemi Homura paced back and forth. She should have known that Kyouko wasn't going to show up soon. In fact, maybe it had been too hasty of her to send the redhead alone to the graveyard. "I should have gone with her…" She mumbled, her thumb against her lip as she lightly nipped on the nail in uncertainty. There was just too much about this timeline that was unpredictable. Her gut was telling her that this was a lost cause, and she should leave for another timeline, and try again. And why shouldn't she? After all, Madoka was already contracted. Miki Sayaka was killed. Tomoe Mami was killed long ago. And her greatest ally against Walpurgisnacht, Sakura Kyouko, was going off the deep end.

And yet, the soft-hearted girl with glasses that she used to be couldn't stand to leave things as they were. The dead look in Kyouko's eyes…the deranged anger that Madoka portrayed when her friend had been killed…they both reminded her of moments she couldn't correct in the past. Perhaps now that she had more experience and skill…she could correct matters?

The rapping on the front door snapped her out of her thoughts, royal blue eyes wide with surprise. Was Sakura Kyouko back? Did she settle things with Madoka? Hope soaring in her chest, she turned on her heel toward the foyer, stepping lightly toward the source of the sound in anticipation. She knew that after the confrontation with Madoka, the redhead would likely need a cleansing. That was fine. She had Grief Seeds to spare, plus she had plenty of food to sate the starving girl.

Surely, things would be okay now-

The door swung open, and Homura's shoulders slumped, eyes widening to pinpricks. The girl on the other side hadn't been who she thought, after all. Rather…it was someone that should've been an impossible guest, now! "Miki…Sayaka…?" She questioned, making sure she was seeing things properly. The girl was standing in her Mitakihara school uniform, the same azure cropped hair held back by yellow clips. Staring into nervous azure eyes, Homura frowned in confusion. "…Could you explain?"

"I can explain, Homura-chan." The pink-haired girl stepped out from behind the taller girl, her face serious and slightly burdened. Raven brows furrowed. Clearly she'd missed an important event that occurred. As she thought, she should've followed Sakura Kyouko, after all! "…Please, come inside." She offered, holding the door open wider and allowing the girls passage. The pink and blue duo nodded in acceptance, stepping through the doorway and making their way through the foyer.

"I…made some soup, if you're hungry." The raven-haired girl added. She'd meant for the meal to be for Kyouko, but…with her lack of appetite, and apparent disappearance, it wasn't going to be eaten anytime soon. Sayaka smiled in gratitude. "Hey! Thanks, transfer student!" Wasting no time, the azure Magical Girl proceeded to help herself to a bowl, pouring soup from a ladle and grabbing a spoon, immediately moving on to scoop the food into her mouth. "Mmmm! This is actually pretty good!" She grinned light-heartedly; however, Homura had plenty of experience in discerning Miki Sayaka's mask. She was forcing herself to be cheery.

Something had definitely happened.

"Shall we start explaining, then?" Homura remarked, crossing her legs as she folded her arms coolly over her chest, maintaining a neutral expression. "How you're alive, for starters." At that, the azure knight stopped short, smile faltering. Slowly, she placed the spoon back in the bowl and set the food to the side. "Well…it's kind of complicated…" She mumbled, eyes downcast as she thought back to what Kyuubey said. "Madoka, maybe you should explain it. I think you understood it better, right?"

"Eh? Ah…okay." The pink-haired girl jerked her head toward the blue-haired girl, uncertainty on her doe-like features, before she glanced slowly over to Homura. "…According to Kyuubey…" She fidgeted with her thumbnails. "This is a natural process. S-So long as the…body…is intact…" She refused to say hardware. She just wouldn't accept it. "A-Apparently the…Soul Gem…can restore itself, and the Magical Girl will…come back to life…" She shook her head. "I can't believe Kyuubey never told us such an important detail…" Across the way, Homura stood with wide eyes, still comprehending what she had just heard. "T…The Soul Gem…can restore itself if the body is intact…?!" She breathed, finding herself at a loss. How many times had she seen Magical Girls kill one another by shattering their Soul Gems? How many times did she have to spare Madoka's misery by cutting short her corruption? And yet, now she was hearing that the Soul Gem could be restored if the body was still around!? She slowly shook her head in disbelief. "I…see. And does Sakura Kyouko know of this?"

"Yeah, that redheaded demon's aware." Sayaka spat, azure eyes narrowing at the mention of the crazed veteran. "She even said herself that it made sense a Magical Girl could only be killed if you destroyed everything of the girl." She shook her head with disgust. "That monster…who does she think she is!?" Madoka frowned. "I can understand where you're coming from, Sayaka-chan, and I don't like her attitude on the matter either…" She looked down to the ground, eyes adjusting to the expanse of whiteness around. "But, I also feel a little sorry for her. I mean, no one should have to go through that, even Sakura Kyouko-san of all people." She clenched her eyes shut, recalling the horrifying truth Kyuubey revealed to them about their resistance to pain.

"What…happened, between the three of you?" Homura frowned with concern. "Where is Kyouko now?" Sayaka barked out a sardonic laugh. "Who knows, and who cares?! She was mumbling something about needing to check on whatever else, and then she up and left! Without even apologizing for what she did before!" She released a sigh of exasperation, throwing her arms out. "I mean, can you believe her?!" Madoka frowned, holding out a hand to calm the blue-haired girl. "Sayaka-chan, please." She calmly chastised, before looking toward the raven Magical Girl. "Sakura Kyouko-san, she…Kyuubey demonstrated a rather disturbing fact about Soul Gems." She glanced down at her finger, looking into the pink gem gleaming back at her. "Apparently, our souls were ripped out of our bodies during the contract, in order to keep our souls in a safe, compact form that wouldn't easily be destroyed." She pursed her lips, feeling her hand tremble with anger at the memory. "He had her set her Soul Gem down…and then he…demonstrated the pain we would normally feel if our souls were in their natural state, rather than placed in the Soul Gems…" She grit her teeth. "It was terrible…no one should have to go through such cruelty…"

Royal blue pools shook with a mix of sadness and concern. So they knew…they knew all about the fact that they weren't regular humans. "And…where is she now?" Madoka responded with a silent shake of her head. "It's just as Sayaka-chan said. She mumbled something, and then left. We haven't seen her since. I think she wanted to confirm something?" The raven-haired girl nodded in acknowledgement. "I see." She glanced toward the azure knight, noting her shifting awkwardly in place. "So, you're alive…" She frowned. "But the world thinks that you're dead, don't they?" The pink and blue duo slowly nodded in unison, one looking uncertainly at the other. Homura sighed, nodding in acknowledgement of why they had come here. "You need me to house Miki Sayaka, since she can neither stay at her own or your place." They nodded again. "Very well, then." The raven-haired girl uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet, hands by her side. "You can stay in my house, at least until you are able to find alternate living arrangements." She stepped past the two of them, making her way toward the foyer. "You may explore where you wish; my secrets keep themselves."

Sayaka blinked in surprise, turning toward the direction Homura went. "Wait-where are you going?" Without looking back, the raven-haired girl proceeded to pull open the door. "I need to search for Sakura Kyouko." She remarked, a bitter undertone to her voice. "You two may not care about her well-being, but I do." With that, she slammed the door shut behind her, leaving the pink and blue duo by themselves.

Sakura Kyouko was steadily on the path to despair. That much was obvious. She had completely lost her appetite, she looked positively sickly, and even her Magical Girl aura felt like she'd used too much energy and was struggling with the last vestiges of power. She shook her head, pumping power into her legs to leap into the air at an inhuman height, landing deftly onto a rooftop. If at all possible, she wanted to save the redhead before it was too late.

Soon, she would be the only ally she would have left!

* * *

Hours passed, and still no sign of the redhead. With nothing to show for her efforts, Akemi Homura reluctantly made her way back toward the direction of home, all the while keeping an eye out for the scarlet Magical Girl, to no avail. She frowned with concern. Usually she had no trouble finding the redhead; just locate the usual spots she would haunt; but today…today appeared to be different. She had a bad feeling about all of this, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

Well, there was no point in dwelling on the matter. Perhaps it would have been better to remain by Madoka and Miki Sayaka's side, and ensure the azure knight had no chance of encountering her fatal future.

* * *

Blow after blow rained down on the silhouetted creature, her long, black, elongated arms grasping wildly at her opponent, to try and protect herself. To her surprise, the redheaded predator before her didn't slow down from her attempts, even as the black claws dug into flesh, and blood poured onto the white backdrop. The fiery creature cackled with bloodlust, licking her lips in anticipation, catching the taste of blood on her tongue.

Ohh, how she loved this. How she lived for it! The excitement, the rapture…the blood pumping in her veins, the unbearable sting of pain from every inch of her…it reminded her how alive she was; how much she could handle, even as her lithe form threatened to fall apart. She readied her spear again, the blade dangling from gold chains as she threw another strike at the creature, ripping off the undefined head from her shoulders, high-pitched giggles escaping the redhead's lips at the sight of the Witch's blood pouring everywhere.

More…

She needed more!

" _STOP IT!"_

 _Deep in the dark recesses, a desperate cry could be heard in the midst of the violent giggles._

" _STOP IT, I DON'T WANT THIS! PLEASE!"_

 _Even when she got lost in the battle, Kyouko never let herself get this crazy…not to the point that she was mercilessly cutting up the Witch, piece by piece, even as the scarlet female bled to death but never died…she couldn't deal with this! Somehow, she had to put an end to it!_

" _Let me OUT of here!"_

 _She cried, her voice more filled with anger toward the creature who dared pretend to be her. She slammed both fists into the glass, only receiving a sting in her wrists for her effort. Snarling in pain, the scarlet Magical Girl stepped back, glaring at the redheaded monstrosity on the outside._

" _You think you can keep me in here…" She muttered darkly, nursing her wrists. "Just you wait…I'll find a way to stop you…"_

"Nice try, little one…" The redhead replied, throwing another strike at the mutilated creature, watching as the last arm flew off into the distance, glancing with a crazed look at the pile of shadowy mush. "But I'M running the show, now." She glanced around her, noticing the white backdrop had begun to dissipate, making way for the night sky over the rooftop she'd fought on. "Well!" She grinned with delight, stepping lightly over and scooping up the Grief Seed. "That was fun, wasn't it?" Never mind the fact that she was leaving a trail of blood. Never mind the fact that the red liquid was threatening to get in her eye from the nasty head wound she received. No; all that really mattered was the ecstasy she experienced, as well as the juicy reward at the end.

" _No, it wasn't. I'm bleeding up a storm. And you went too far against that Witch."_

"Oh, you're just being a party-pooper." Scarlet eyes glinted mischievously as she placed the Grief Seed against the Soul Gem located between her breasts, releasing a sigh of contentment as she felt the corruption leave. "Feels good, don't it?"

 _Scarlet eyes glanced to the side, eyes narrowed._

" _Maybe at one point it did…but it sure doesn't, now. If anything, it just adds to the bitterness now."_

 _She jerked her head back toward the outside._

" _And I'm STILL bleeding up a storm! You're wasting magical energy with that; it only makes me need Grief Seeds even MORE!"_

"And what's wrong with that?" The redhead tilted her head to the side, tossing the black object up and down in her hand, the other hand on her hip. "We're looking for more Grief Seeds right now, anyway. Who cares if we have a little fun along the way?" She licked her lips in excitement. "And while we're at it…we can track down the pesky little obstacles in the way of our hunts!"

" _I said NO! Leave the other Magical Girls alone! There's more than enough Witches around for all of us!"_

Scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously, a predatory smile on her lips. "YOU don't have any say on the matter right now, remember?" She swung her spear out, watching as droplets of blood flew in several directions before recalling the weapon. She looked over herself in amusement. Well, now that the excitement of battle had died down, she could really see how wobbly she was from all the exhaustion and blood loss. It was kind of funny! Reaching out a hand, she recalled her transformation, donning the ragged hoodie and shorts once more. As soon as she did, the effects of her weakened state began to show. Swaying side to side, the redhead inevitably fell with a thud to the ground, eyes facing the night sky in a dazed state. "Heh…" She chuckled weakly, taking in the wide expanse of space above her. "With no healing, and no one to back you up…really makes you stop and think how small and insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things, don't it?"

 _Kyouko glanced away, finding herself at a loss. The creature was definitely right; she was no more special than a speck of dust, when it came down to it. She could claw her way to the top, fight desperately for survival…but when one was alone, and struggling, life became a whole lot harder to live._

"But you know we gotta…" The redhead remarked, feeling a stab in her chest every time she breathed out. "We don't deserve anything more, after all. Murderers like us…we got no choice but to live, and suffer." With an absent gaze, the scarlet Magical Girl turned her head to the side, only vaguely registering the sound of clacking heels nearby.

Black heels with diamond imprinting landed gently on the rooftop as Akemi Homura made her way toward the direction of home. She stopped short at the scent of blood, looking over with a start a little ways, spotting something red in the distance. She clenched her teeth in frustration. Of course. Why didn't she think to look in a Witch's barrier, of all things? Stepping lightly, Homura approached the redhead lying in a pool of blood. Raven brows furrowed with worry at the sight. "Kyouko!" She called out, quickly kneeling by the girl's side.

" _Ah, Homura…" Kyouko blinked in surprise at the girl's presence. Staring up at the concerned face of someone who cared, who came to her in her time of great need…really, it was Mami all over again. She watched as the raven-haired girl proceeded to cradle her in her arms, speaking gently._

"It's okay…we'll get you taken care of…" Homura spoke soothingly, royal-blue pools shaking at the vast amount of blood that had soaked through the redhead's hoodie, her shorts, and all over the rooftop. This really was one of those instances where Kyuubey's statement ran true: you could bleed to death and suffer unspeakable torture, but as long as your Soul Gem was intact, you could keep operating. "For starters, why don't I take you home?"

The redhead slowly turned her head to face the slightly taller girl, a cold, dead look in her eyes. "You again?" She spoke, her voice dull and lifeless. "This is none of your business." She jerked her head away, uncaring about how much it hurt to move right now. "I wanna be alone. So leave, and I might spare your life this time." Homura frowned, taking no heed to the girl's idle threats and lifting her up in her arms, standing up as she straightened out her hold. "I'm not leaving you alone in this state. I told you that before." Scarlet eyes stared sharply at her. "And I said before, too, that I didn't want you butting in." She scoffed. "You think I can't take care of myself? You think I need to rely on some know-it-all irregular to make my way in life?"

"You're bleeding, Kyouko." Homura sternly replied, stepping towards the edge of the rooftop. "You're not in a position to argue with me right now." The scarlet Magical Girl chuckled darkly at her comment. "Not in a position, you say?" With a flick of her wrist, a crimson blade shot out from the roof. Luckily, Homura caught wind of it, and she quickly jumped to the side. "What are you doing? I'm trying to help you!" She glared down at the redhead, raven brows furrowing at the haughty, uncaring look the shorter girl responded back with. "You…" Royal-blue eyes narrowed. "You're not acting like yourself…"

"And how do YOU know what I do and don't normally act like?" The redhead tilted her head to the side, blood-soaked scarlet locks sliding down and dangling over the ground from the motion. "What makes you the Sakura Kyouko expert, huh?" She giggled at her own comment; an unusual, crazed titter escaped the girl's lips, causing Homura to frown with concern. Since when did Kyouko speak about herself in the third person? No, she was reading into things. But then…that comment sounded a little out there. "…Are you Sakura Kyouko?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

" _No! That's not me!"_

 _Kyouko cried out, placing her hands on the glass as she tried with all her might to try to communicate with the raven-haired girl._

" _That's not me, don't linger around her! She'll kill you!"_

"Well…" Scarlet eyes crinkled with mischief. "Isn't that the million-dollar question of the day?" She giggled again, a sound that Homura didn't often hear from the girl. She began to recall, several timelines ago, that she had heard such kind of laughter from the redhead at some point. But that had been during that one fateful incident, when Homura had mistakenly killed the Mermaid Witch before Kyouko even had the chance to try talking with her. The results were catastrophic. She'd seen so many sides to the redhead, all at once in that instance, before she finally grew overcome with rage and despair, and formed into the Wudan Witch. Royal blue eyes trembled at the memory. Now that she thought about it, hadn't the girl connected the Soul Gem and Grief Seed cycle with the food chain then, too?

"Am I Sakura Kyouko, or aren't I?" The redhead tilted her head to the other side. "I guess you'll have to be the judge of that." She took Homura's distraction as a moment of opportunity, slipping out of her hold and landing expertly on her feet, despite the fact that every inch of her was covered in blood. "I'll tell you one thing, though; Sakura Kyouko or no, I don't answer to anyone." She gave a cruel smirk as she noticed the raven-haired girl's eyes widen with realization, before forming a spear in her hand. "Not you, not Kyuubey…and definitely not Tomoe Mami." She swung the spear around like a baton before snapping it into segments, gripping both ends as she prepared the spear-whip.

"I don't want to fight you!" Homura cried, nevertheless donning her Magical Girl attire. "I want to help you!" She stepped closer, a shield appearing on her arm. "But if I have to use force, then so be it." Scarlet brows raised with curious interest as she watched the raven-haired girl's movements, even as she turned the shield clockwise.

In that instant, everything grew still.

Homura breathed a sigh of relief, before proceeding to pull out a nostalgic item; her golf club that she'd fought with before she contracted. It wasn't very effective in battle, but it was a blunt object, and she only needed to knock the girl unconscious so she could take her back home and get her treated. Maybe, with enough convincing, she could get Miki Sayaka to help out with that. After all, if enough trust was built, maybe Sakura Kyouko wouldn't have to be so…well, two-faced. With one, hard swing, the raven-haired girl's blunt weapon came into contact with the back of the scarlet female's head. For an instant, Kyouko jerked forward from the contact, and then everything was still again. Releasing a breath to try to steady herself, Homura then prepared to release the hold on time.

The moment everything went back into motion, the redhead found herself falling forward, a newfound sting at the back of her head. "Nggh!" She winced in pain, swaying in place for a moment before she fell face-first toward the surface of the roof-top, eyes fluttering softly shut as she lost consciousness. Homura sighed in relief, before stepping back toward the girl, reaching over and taking her into her arms again, this time moving immediately toward the direction of home. She didn't like to be forceful, especially not to someone who usually proved to be a useful ally…

But she wasn't given much choice this time around.

* * *

From rooftop to rooftop, the raven-haired girl leapt, paying no heed to the wet, sticky sensation of blood soaking through her school blazer. She would figure out what to do about that later; right now, a friend was in need! Finally, after some time, her school heels clicked against the sidewalk of the quiet streets of her neighborhood, and she glanced up. The overall bland appearance of her house stared back at her, and Homura proceeded to walk towards it, glancing down at the redhead's unconscious face every now and then to check her condition. When the opportunity presented itself, she would get a good look at her Soul Gem, too, to make sure everything was alright. Straightening her hold on the redhead, Homura proceeded to open the door, stepping lightly through her foyer and making her way into the white-walled living space. "I'm back." She calmly called out, royal blue eyes glancing around for any sign of the pink and blue duo she'd left in her house.

Madoka had gone home, it looked like, Homura noted as she peered around the space with no sign of her. She did, however, spot Sayaka lying on the couch in boredom. "It's nice to see you didn't get into any trouble while I was out," The raven-haired girl remarked dryly, catching the azure knight's attention. As soon as Sayaka looked over, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "And what's THAT doing here?" She snarled, pointing to the bloody mess of a redhead. Homura stepped over to the couch opposite from Sayaka, setting the redhead gently down. She would have to clean the couch of blood later, too, but she'd worry about that later. "I found her. Clearly she's not in any state to be left on her own." She absently brushed her finger against the girl's pale cheek, taking note of her temperature. She felt feverish; maybe she'd lost too much blood. She turned around to face the azure knight. "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Miki Sayaka."

The blue-haired girl sat up straight, staring up at her host with narrowed eyes. "Let me guess…you want me to heal the redheaded demon." Homura frowned, raven brows twitching. So she already knew. And given the two's relationship in this timeline, it was likely that the azure knight would refuse to help.

"Fine."

Royal-blue eyes blinked with surprise. "You'll do it?" She asked, blinking rapidly in disbelief. Sayaka frowned, azure brows furrowing with irritation. "Don't get me wrong, I'd sooner let this girl rot. But you took me in when I had nowhere to go, so I kind of owe you." She slipped off the couch, making her way over to the redhead. As she came closer, she stopped short, cringing in discomfort. "Yikes…how did she let herself get beat up so bad!? From head to toe, the redhead was covered in cuts, lacerations, all sorts of injuries. Her leg even looked like it was bent a direction that didn't quite seem natural. And everywhere, she could see the girl was covered with blood. Whether that was all her own blood or someone else's, she didn't dare to wonder. With a sigh, Sayaka donned her knight attire, forming a rather watery-looking sword. "Alright, stand back." She advised, watching as the raven-haired girl did just that.

Sayaka hated this girl. She couldn't place it, but her passion of hatred toward the scarlet demon was overwhelming. Maybe if they'd met in another manner, that passion could have been directed toward friendship…but there was no chance of that in this case. Without another moment's hesitation, the azure knight slammed her sword of healing into the redhead's abdomen, watching as it rippled against her battered flesh, spreading to every inch of her body. A soothing calm overtook the girls, both red and blue, and for a moment, that hatred was lost.

For a moment, it felt…as if they were meant to meet, and that over time, they would be there for one another.

Why did fate have them meet as enemies?

Why couldn't they grow closer, as friends?

And then that moment ended. With a grim frown, Sayaka yanked the sword of healing out, watching as it dissipated into nothingness, glancing down at the girl's now uninjured skin. Even in her regular attire, there were rips and tears everywhere. With a soft, weak moan, the redhead stirred, causing Sayaka to back away, mistrust marring her features.

"Ungh…" Kyouko groaned, her eyelids fluttering open as she pulled herself up into a sitting position; although she didn't feel in pain from the injuries anymore, she still felt woozy and fatigued from blood loss and hunger. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, scarlet pools glanced cautiously around to gauge her surroundings.

Wait; the outside! And it didn't look as if she were peering through a tank, either! "Where…" She mustered, looking around with confusion before the familiarity of the place finally sank in. "Homura…" She mumbled, looking around for the raven-haired girl. She spotted raven locks in her peripheral, confirming the girl's location. She also spotted, more directly in view, a glaring Miki Sayaka. "Oh." The redhead cringed at the sight, scarlet eyes shifting left to right, trying not to meet the girl's gaze. "…Hey."

"Hey." Sayaka responded, keeping her Soul Gem at the ready. Speaking of her Soul Gem, she wanted compensation from the redhead. Even though her wish was healing, it still took quite a bit to heal all those injuries. All the while, Kyouko began to look over herself, frowning at the strangely red attire she was donning even when not transformed. "Ugh…is this…all mine?" She cringed, scarlet brows furrowed in discomfort. She had bled that much, yet she was still going? The memory of Kyuubey's paw pressed against her Soul Gem came to mind, quickly freezing the scarlet female in place. "…Wow…so this is what a Magical Girl is capable of…" She commented, chuckling ruefully. Slowly, she glanced toward the direction of Sayaka. "Did you…heal me?"

"Yeah, and it wasn't easy." Sayaka responded, cautiously holding out her Soul Gem. She didn't trust the redhead to have full reach of it, but she did want her to know what her carelessness brought. "Thanks to you, I used up a LOT of Magical Energy! I expect you to pay me back for that!" Kyouko nodded in understanding, glancing down at her blood-soaked hoodie pocket. "Yeah…let me get that for you." She mumbled vacantly, reaching into her pocket for a Grief Seed. The first one she pulled out she stopped short at, scarlet brows furrowing with uneasiness at the sight. The flower-shaped Grief Seed, half-full with corruption, gleamed back at her. Hurriedly, the redhead set it to the side, reaching for another Grief Seed and tossing it to the azure knight. Sayaka blinked in surprise, catching the object deftly in her hand. "Wow…I didn't think you'd be so willing to part with any of your stash." Maybe…she misjudged the girl?

Or maybe she was as unpredictable as Madoka said.

Homura frowned at the sight of the flower-shaped Grief Seed. "May I take a look at that?" She asked, holding out a pale hand to the redhead. Kyouko hesitated for a moment, before finally obliging, handing the black object to the raven-haired girl. "I'll want that back, though." She remarked, glancing quickly away from the Grief Seed. She never did like staring at it for too long. It gave her a horrifying feeling, somehow. Plus, she could've sworn she'd seen that flower pattern elsewhere…where was it, again?

Homura stared quietly at the Grief Seed in her palm, rotating it in her hold, expression unreadable as she examined the pattern. 'So…' She thought sadly, noting the fact that it had already been half-used. 'This is what's become of you this timeline, Tomoe Mami…' But something didn't add up, in that case. Kyouko said to her that a Witch had killed Tomoe Mami, which Homura accepted as an undeniable possibility. Yet, if she became a Witch herself, then what Witch did her in? And was the body spared, and that was how Mami came back? No. That still didn't make sense. Otherwise, Sakura Kyouko wouldn't have been as freaked out about Miki Sayaka returning.

She knew about Tomoe Mami's death. She was there. Yet, she knew nothing of the Soul Gem repairing? Her lips pressed tightly together as a new thought came to mind. There were times, every now and then, that she would catch Kyouko referring herself to a Witch. It was a depressing thought, but…with how unstable the redhead was behaving it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility. It would also explain why she wanted to avoid the subject of Tomoe Mami in general.

Kyouko killed her.

Then Tomoe Mami, having come back to life as her body was still intact, was most likely wrought with despair over the betrayal, and deformed into a Witch herself. She closed her eyes sadly, lowering her hand. Such a cruel end for Tomoe Mami in this timeline…to be killed by her previous student, and slowly be filled with the despair of the same student…she shook her head, handing the Grief Seed back. "It's a pretty design." She remarked quietly. "I wonder what the Witch was like?"

"Small, mainly." Kyouko took the Grief Seed back, holding it gently in her palm before she placed it back in her pocket. She pulled out her hand, lightly stained with blood that had soaked through. She cringed at the sight; no doubt Homura was going to have her change into something else while she tried to salvage the clothes. "It had golden ribbons pouring out the sides like arms, and the place was surrounded by apple trees." She glanced to the side. "The familiar was really weird, too, but I'm just guessing the Witch was trying to mess with my head."

"Oh?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow, placing the Grief Seed she was offered against her Soul Gem, feeling the corruption pouring out and into the gifted object. "What do you mean by that?" Kyouko shrugged, straightening herself out. "Well, it looked a little like me, so it confused me for a while there." Honestly, with the Witch's ribbons, and the Familiar's spear…it almost felt like she was fighting a past version of herself and Mami. "But hey, there are Witches out there that will probe your mind to find your deepest regrets." She reasoned. "So why not have one that morphs itself into something you recognize, to throw you off? I mean, it isn't impossible." She winced in pain, bringing a hand to her head. "Ugh, I still feel dizzy…" She mumbled.

"Then lay back, Kyouko." Homura instructed, stepping toward the girl. "Wait. Let me get you a change of clothes, and then you can lay back." She turned on her heel, stepping around the corner and out of sight of the two girls.

Sayaka stared blankly at where the raven-haired girl disappeared off to before looking towards the redhead, a suspicious glare on her face. "Don't get me wrong. I only helped you out because the transfer student wanted me to, and she took me in. Thanks to you, I can't live my life anymore!" Kyouko nodded slowly, her lips pressed together in a thin line. She knew she'd done the girl wrong. She knew she'd overreacted. She would do whatever was in her power to keep that from happening again.

"So what, did you want us to kill you again?" She tilted her head to the side, rested against her shoulder as she stared sidelong at the blue-haired girl. Wait, what!? No, she didn't want to suggest that! Sayaka heightened her guard, stepping back. "You…why would you suggest such a thing?!" Sayaka glared suspiciously. She knew the redheaded demon was no good! To her surprise, the scarlet female was shaking her head frantically, gripping her head tightly with both hands. "No, stop! Forget I said that!" She cried out, eyes clenched tightly. All of a sudden, she dropped her hands, a cruel smile forming on her lips. "She said it herself, though, didn't she? She can't even live her life anymore. All she can do is hide away, as if she never existed. We both know that's not a pleasant feeling, so why not put her out of her misery?"

"That's NOT what she asked for!"

"What she asked for? We should think about what would be BEST for her, shouldn't we? And what's best for us."

"Urgh…she's just frustrated, and probably looking for an apology! You need to butt out!"

"Why? We could do without her anyway, and all she's doin' is whining about her situation."

"That's not my call!"

"Uh…" Sayaka blinked in surprise, brows furrowed in worry. "Are you…talking to yourself?" She asked, stepping back uneasily. So that explained what was going on…the girl was a fricking schizophrenic! "Why don't I just…sit over here, far away from you and you?" She scooted to the far end of the opposite sofa, keeping a wary eye on the scarlet female who was now banging her fists against her head, rocking back and forth. Well, that probably wasn't going to help her fatigue.

"What's going on in here?" Homura asked, stepping in with a bundle of clothes. Sayaka looked up at her, giving a small wave. "Apparently the redheaded demon is a schizo." She remarked, pointing toward the scarlet female, who was now quietly mumbling under her breath, rocking back and forth as if she were trying to cast some sort of spell to keep the demons at bay. Homura raised an eyebrow at the sight. "How…long has she been like that?" She asked. The blue-haired girl gave a light shrug. "I really don't know. She just started the mumbling and rocking; before, she was actively arguing with herself, as if she was role-playing two different people. At least she stopped smacking herself on the head, at any rate." Homura nodded in acknowledgement. No wonder she was more battered and exhausted than in other timelines. Was it her mask? The one that she normally created to help her get by, but that she could usually remove whenever she needed to? When did it form into a completely separate personality that she couldn't control? "I, uh…" She stepped toward the redhead, staring down at her rocking form, taking note of her occasional trembles. "I got you a change of clothes." Kyouko jerked her head up, looking into the royal blue pools staring down at her. "Eh? Ah…" She looked over herself, realizing she would only get blood on the clothes if she grabbed them now. "Why don't you put them in the bathroom? I'll head over there to get changed." Homura, realizing her dilemma, nodded in understanding. "Okay, I'll do that. Don't hesitate to call if you need help with anything, okay?"

"Nobody asked you for your help." The redhead replied darkly, before she shook her head frantically, looking back up with shaking scarlet pools. "T-Thanks." She mustered, stepping lightly towards the bathroom. Homura followed after, clothes in hand, until she stopped by a rack next to the sink. "I'll go ahead and set this here." She advised, setting the clothes gently on the rack. "You should probably wash up too, while you're at it. All that blood can't be good for your hair." With that, she turned to leave the bathroom, leaving Kyouko on her own.

"Well, not on our own…" She mumbled with a smile, eyes narrowing. "We're never on our own." Kyouko cringed at her own words, shaking her head once more before proceeding to peel off the blood-soaked hoodie, tossing it to the ground beside the hamper so she wouldn't sully Homura's dirty clothes with blood. One by one, she peeled off the rest of the blood-soaked attire, until she stood bare and exposed in front of the mirror. Now that she was getting a good look at herself, Kyouko realized just how pathetic she looked, even from a glance. There were dark rings around her eyes that indicated she hadn't had proper sleep in an eternity. Her skin was pallid and sickly, as if she'd escaped from the morgue. And the familiar sight of ribs showing through her thin frame was a sickeningly familiar sight, one that made her stomach churn even without the taste of ash. She shook her head sadly at the sight. Since when did she let herself fall to such a pathetic state?

Without another word, she stepped lightly into the shower, starting the water and allowing the scalding stream to cleanse her forever-sullied form.

* * *

"Even with that…" Sayaka frowned, looking toward the direction of the bathroom. "Even with her current mental state, you STILL want her to work together with us against Walpurgisnacht?" Homura nodded slowly, her expression grim. "Yes. Walpurgisnacht is not an opponent to take lightly; we need all the firepower we can get, unstable or otherwise." She sighed. "Besides…I'm hoping that, through company and teamwork, we can get her out of the current rut she's in. I've heard about her skills, and they are phenomenal, even in the trickiest of situations. If we can just give her a push in the right direction, maybe we can snap her out of her current mental state?" After all, beyond the mask Sakura Kyouko had created for herself, she was a level-headed, responsible and surprisingly mellow girl; who, while she was an idealist, was also open-minded and willing to accept reality. If she could just pick that out from the deranged psychopath she'd been fighting with for who knows how long…

Maybe, just maybe, she could set this timeline right.

* * *

 **A/N: ...Well! I finished this chapter faster than I expected. Maybe I'm getting back into my groove? Or maybe it's the fact that I spent the morning hours before work working on the fanfic instead of an AMV. XD**

 **Kyouko's actively fighting against herself, to the point that it's become clear as crystal to everyone else. In addition, Homura has figured out the mystery of Mami's disappearance, as well as Kyouko's reason for not wanting to bring up the subject. Meanwhile, Sayaka has proven that she CAN be the bigger kid, and actually put her grudge aside to do something as a favor for someone who helped her, even if it includes healing someone she'd rather want dead. And Madoka seems to feel pity for Kyouko again. We'll see how long that lasts.**

 **Since Elsa Maria was just defeated (although a bit early), you can probably guess what's going to come up next. The question is, how will Sayaka deal with it? She's supposedly dead, so Hitomi has no need to hold back. What will Sayaka do in this instance? What will Kyouko's alter-ego do?**

 **Only time will tell. As always, comments and criticism are greatly accepted and appreciated. I love to hear your guys' opinions.**

 **Stay tuned for the next chapter! (Which, probably, won't show up nearly as quickly.)**


	7. Chapter 7: Trust

"I see."

Rose eyes stared, narrowed in contemplation, out the window of her bedroom into the night life of Mitakihara city. Kaname Madoka held a small rectangular object, her pink smart phone, against her ear as she sat upright in her chair. She had meant to get on the homework assigned for that day, but her heart wasn't in it. Instead, she answered a call from Sayaka, who informed her of Kyouko's mental condition. "That would explain why she's been so…well, unpredictable lately." She remarked, eyes softening just the slightest. It was a bit of a relief, actually. In truth, the redhead was just a young girl who was struggling, just like the rest of them. Although she still couldn't find it in herself to like the girl, she did at least find that her hatred for the scarlet female had begun to wane, if only a little.

"Yeah. To be honest, I don't know how to feel about her right now, but the transfer student seems to think we absolutely need her." Sayaka's voice rang through the tiny speakers. "Well, against that Walpurgisnacht thing, anyway. I don't know what we plan to do with her once everything's been settled and the city's been saved." The blue-haired girl sighed, glancing over at the couch across from her. It looked like Homura had already wiped up the blood residue that had gotten on the couch. Azure brows furrowed with uncertainty; she didn't like the unknown. Especially with all the craziness involved with being a Magical Girl, she'd just as soon be aware of all that was going to happen, at least between them and the redheaded demon. Slowly her gaze broke off from the couch, drifting instead toward the direction of the bathroom. "She's currently cleaning herself off right now; somehow, in the short time she was away from us, she managed to accumulate even MORE blood." She shook her head. "That demon needed me to heal her! I mean, she gave me a Grief Seed for my troubles, but…"

"She GAVE you a Grief Seed; without any complaint?" Madoka's tone was incredulous. "…The same girl who killed you over the fact that you weren't handing over any of your Grief Seeds?" It was strange. Was all the violence really the work of the girl's split personality? Then, did she really have any right to hate the girl, when she barely knew the actual her? She released a heavy sigh, shaking her head in uncertainty. "I don't know, Sayaka-chan…I want to hate the girl…but at the same time, I'm finding myself feeling sorry for her. I mean, is she really the one in control?"

"I don't feel sorry for her." Sayaka replied firmly. "It's still a part of her; she should know how to control her own emotions or whatever else." She huffed, leaning back against the sofa, stumbling just slightly when she was reminded by gravity that the cushion didn't have a back to rest against. "I mean, do you feel sorry for every serial killer, just because they're mentally unstable?"

"Well, no…but…"

"Exactly!" The blue-haired girl jumped off the couch, landing on her feet, a hand on her hip. "No matter their mental state, you'd still want to have them locked behind bars, or at least far out of reach of the public, so he can't kill anyone else." Azure eyes narrowed dangerously. "And personally, I think even that's too kind. I mean, simply locking them up, after they've killed so many innocents? No." She squared her shoulders, taking on the stance of the fearless knight she was. "Someone like that…they don't deserve to walk this earth."

"Ah, but sometimes death is more merciful for those with blood on their hands." The cool voice of Akemi Homura resounded beside the taller girl, causing Sayaka to jump back, yelling with surprise. "WAAAGH!" She stood on one foot in a comical manner, her hands pointing out toward the sky as she stared wide-eyed at the raven-haired girl. A single raven brow rose in response. "I'm not a ghost." Homura remarked calmly.

"What's wrong, Sayaka-chan?" Madoka's voice broke the awkward silence, breaking Sayaka out of her comical trance. "Is everything okay over there?" Chuckling nervously, Sayaka brought the smart phone back to her ear. "Uh, yeah, nothing to worry about! Just, the transfer student over here startled me, is all!" She nervously scratched the back of her head. She heard a sigh from the pink-haired girl, and could just imagine she was shaking her head with a smile. "Well, don't kill each other while you're over there, Sayaka-chan." Madoka joked lightly, knowing that Homura would be less likely to do such a thing; at least, from her current track record. "I need to put away my phone for the night, but I'll talk to you tomorrow after school, okay?"

"Okay, sounds good." Sayaka replied with a smile, slowly putting her foot awkwardly back to the ground, her cheeks slightly flushed from the embarrassing overreaction. "I'll talk to you later then, Madoka. Let me know how school goes!" With that, she disconnected the call with a faint 'beep', before placing it gently in her uniform pocket. She released a sigh before turning her head to face her host. "What was that you were saying, before? Something about death being a mercy?"

"Of course." Homura frowned, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "If you were really mentally unstable, and you had just a portion of yourself left, do you really think you would want to live with the blood on your hands? In that case, death would be a reprieve; a sweet relief from all the violence you've had to endure through your own uncontrollable actions. Sometimes, to really make the killers pay, it's more beneficial to lock them up far away, where all they can do is think about what they've done." She glanced to the side, expression unreadable. "That's just how it is."

"You seem to understand an awful lot about that…" Sayaka frowned, brows furrowed in suspicion. "Did you run into anything like that, before coming here?" Homura gave a light, half-hearted shrug in response. "Perhaps." She replied coolly, stepping over to the couch across the way, double-checking for any bloodstains before taking a seat on the cushion. "But whether or not someone has actually experienced or witnessed such a thing, you can piece it together based on your knowledge of human psychology. Do you really think someone could handle the guilt of so much blood on their hands, without wanting to end it all?" Sayaka frowned, thinking it over. "I guess, when you put it that way…"

"Talking about me behind my back, are you?" The azure and raven duo quickly glanced up at the higher-pitched voice laced with irritation, their gaze meeting a lithe female with damp red hair. Sayaka grimaced, immediately heightening her guard. When did she come in the room?! Scarlet eyes stared sharply at the two, a slight tilt to her head. "What? Cat got your tongue now that you realized I can hear you?" A pale hand gripped roughly at the white towel nestled around her red locks, giving it a light tousle to dry up a few more strands of hair. "Fine. I know when my presence bothers people." She replied with a roll of the eyes, turning sharply on her heel before stumbling in place, reminded once more that she was still weak and fatigued. Homura pursed her lips, running her tongue along her teeth as she thought of a way to mend the situation. "It's not…" She tested the waters, gauging the redhead's reaction; scarlet eyes glanced coolly back at her from their peripherals. "It's not about you, per se…it's just that your…well, your mental state got us on the topic about others that were mentally unstable."

A wry smirk affixed itself to the redhead's lips as she caught herself, slowly standing upright. "Mentally unstable, huh?" She chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, I guess I am mentally unstable. Well…" She turned around to fully face them, her head rested against her shoulder. "If everyone already accepts it, why try to deny it for what it is? We're MAD." She tittered maniacally, her small form shaking. Sayaka frowned, stepping back a bit, keeping an eye on the redhead with wary eyes. "Yeah…you sure are."

"There's no need to start a fight, now." Homura intervened, holding out her hand as if indicating to stop. "It is true, currently we have no choice but to accept that you are unstable. But we can work together to fix that." She rose from the couch, stepping over to the shorter girl, pulling the towel from around her neck. "Oh, really?" Scarlet eyes glinted mischievously. "And why would you wanna help us? Don't you know that if you poke your nose too far, you could lose it?" Homura frowned, placing her free hand against the older girl's cheek. "I want to help you because I care." She proclaimed, slowly pulling her hand away from the redhead, stepping back a bit as soon as she saw the warning glare from her eyes. "I can tell you're suffering."

"Why are you complaining?" Sayaka frowned, placing a hand on her hip. "You should be glad she even brought you here to be taken care of! Isn't that proof enough?" Kyouko watched the two of them, her eyes softening just slightly, but not out of gratitude. She sighed, shaking her head, lips pressed together in a thin line. Did they think she was stupid? "…Aren't you just using me to help fight against Walpurgisnacht?" She remarked softly. Homura winced at the remark; somehow, those words were more piercing than the haughty tone of the mask. Maybe it was because she recognized Kyouko herself felt that way. "It…it is true that we need your assistance. But that doesn't mean that we don't also care for you, as a human being."

"Human being, huh?" The redhead muttered darkly, eyes narrowing. She changed her Soul Gem from ring-form to the egg shape it originally came in, holding it out in her palm. "Don't know if you heard yet; we're NOT human. We're just Kyuubey's fighting dolls." Homura frowned at the sight, taking in the slight cloudiness to her fire-red gem. While it still looked like it could hold out a little while, in her current mental state it would deteriorate quickly. "You need to cleanse your Soul Gem." She advised.

"Y'see?! That's what I keep saying!" Kyouko blurted out, instantly pulling her Soul Gem away. "I keep telling her, 'We need to keep our Soul Gem cleansed! Then we don't need to suffer!' But then she's all like, 'Nooo'." She glared darkly at the raven-haired girl. "Your guys' justice and compassion nonsense is just confusing her." A fanged grin formed on her lips, cruel and vicious. "That's why we should just kill you guys-" She shook her head frantically, eyes clenching shut, fang disappearing in pursed lips. "No, stop!" She scolded herself, fists clenching against her head. With a soft sigh, she straightened out, scarlet pools soft and melancholy as she glanced to the side, avoiding eye contact. "It's not that dirty yet. I don't wanna have to be as reliant as I was."

Homura's frown deepened. If the addiction to Grief Seeds was slowly causing the girl to shy away from using them at all, then problems could arise in the near future. All the same, however, she understood that Kyouko wanted to overcome the survivalist threatening to take over, and this was one of those first steps. "Alright then…but be sure to keep an eye on that. We'll need to all be in tip-top shape." Kyouko's lips pursed tighter at the remark. "Right…"

For Walpurgisnacht.

Kyouko knew why the raven-haired girl really wanted her around; why she was going through all the effort to keep her healthy. It was all to help out against Walpurgisnacht. Once the colossal Witch was taken care of, none of them would care either way what happened. In fact, she already knew that at least two of them wanted her dead. She would be on her own, without anyone to lend her a hand, without even a word of comfort. Not like she deserved it, anyway. The one person who would have offered her such relief was gone, by her hands.

 _ **So then really, what was the point of trying to get close to people again?**_

"You should all rest up, now." Homura advised, turning away. "Sleep on the couch or in the bedroom, whichever suits the two of you better. I do want you to know, however, that I expect you to be able to get along; at least enough to train together." She stepped towards the direction of her bedroom. "We start training tomorrow. The guest room is off to the right of the bathroom." Then she turned the corner, and she was gone.

Sayaka watched her go; her eyes drifted toward the redhead in an instant, azure brows furrowing, her guard heightening. She was now alone, with the unstable redhead; the same redhead that got her killed the first time. "…So…" Her eyes narrowed darkly. "We're not going to have another moment of you trying to kill me over Grief Seeds anymore…right?" The redhead turned to face her, eyes dull and unresponsive. "Depends." She replied dully. "Are you going to deliberately antagonize me? Or are we past that immature point, now?" Sayaka growled at the girl's words. "Are you testing me?" She challenged, shoulders arching in a similar manner to a dog with its teeth bared.

"No," Kyouko replied calmly, looking away. "Just gauging your reaction. Clearly if I say something, anything wrong, you'll explode at me and we'll be back to square one." She sighed, wrapping her arms weakly around her waist. "So, I'll back down. It's important to you guys that Walpurgisnacht is taken care of…" Her eyes softened with sadness. "And it's in my best interest to work with you guys, and preserve this hunting ground. I'd still like if you guys did provide Grief Seeds, as some kind of payment for my trouble…but I'm not gonna force you to hand it all over." She sighed. "It's just up to you to decide whether or not you're leaving only your friends to pay their dues."

"There, that!" Sayaka barked, pointing a finger at the shorter girl. "That's the attitude I don't like! You keep saying that we need to 'pay our dues', but you don't have the right to claim that! WE'RE the residents of this city, not you! WE should be the ones in charge of Mitakihara; ESPECIALLY since you're not the one who actually cares about the people of Mitakihara enough to go against Walpurgisnacht without worrying about payment!"

"You're right." Kyouko replied in a soft tone. "I don't. So maybe you're right, maybe I don't deserve to hold control over this territory. But that's something we'll have to settle later, after your guys' big battle to protect the city. Will I be beaten down?" She shrugged. "Possibly. If that happens, I'll just find a new place to haunt. Or…" She gave a wry smile. "Maybe you guys will kill me. Then I wouldn't be going anywhere. It's your guys' decision, when it comes down to it." Sayaka glared darkly at the shorter female, stepping back a couple feet more. "You're right. It IS our decision." This demon…it was too dangerous to have her around. So long as it was to protect the people of Mitakihara, she didn't care if she got her hands a little dirty. Whether it was a Witch or a Magical Girl…

"So, you taking the couch or the bedroom?" Scarlet eyes glanced sidelong at azure. "Sounds like you're the more permanent resident here, so I'll go ahead and let you pick. Plus, I'm not too picky." Sayaka blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden topic change. "Huh-what?" She shook her head, snapping out of her reverie. "I, uh…I guess I'll take the bedroom, then." The redhead nodded slowly in acknowledgement before proceeding to lie down on the cushion, curling up into a fetal position as she rested her head. "Then, I'll allow you to think on whatever your decision is. I'm actually feeling pretty tired…" And cold. And hungry. And empty. "So I'm gonna turn in early…" Sayaka stared down at her, an azure brow raised. "Wait, you're going to sleep now? When we just barely started talking?" Not to mention, Sayaka still didn't trust her. Did the redhead really want to leave herself open like that?

"If we keep talking, we're just gonna start comin' to blows…" The redhead slurred, eyelids fluttering softly shut. It was funny; normally, she would be on the highest defense, in the event someone tried to harm her. But, she found herself not really caring what happened. Sayaka could run her through in her sleep and burn the evidence, and Kyouko wouldn't care less. Said taller female glared down at her, watching to make sure she didn't have any cheap moves up her sleeve. Was she really just going to sleep? Or was she just trying to get Sayaka to let down her guard? "…Fine. We'll talk later." The knight let out a small huff, concluding their short conversation. Turning on her heel, the blue-haired girl made her way toward the guest bedroom, where she would be making herself at home until further notice.

The only question was…how long would that be?

* * *

"Useless…" Homura muttered bitterly, staring out the window of her bedroom, a pale hand pressed hard against the glass surface until the tips of her fingers turned white. "What am I thinking? This timeline is beyond saving…"

She should have concluded that a long time ago. After all, her primary mission, protecting Madoka before she got tricked by Kyuubey, was a failure before she even started. Miki Sayaka could no longer live the life of a normal girl, and Homura already knew what was lying in store for her. Especially since Shizuki Hitomi didn't have any competition, she wouldn't hesitate to stand up and confess her feelings to the violinist. All she could do was pray that it wouldn't be soon…at least if they waited until the usual moment, maybe she could find a way to distract Miki Sayaka from that event…

But that still didn't change the condition of her usual ally against Walpurgisnacht, Sakura Kyouko. To think that she had fallen victim to her own mask…a squeaking noise resounded from the window as her hand slid slowly, agonizingly, down until it touched the windowsill. In that moment, a purple light shone around the raven-haired girl, and she brought a shaking hand to the hourglass shield rested on her left arm.

There was no more point to this timeline. There was no hope for these girls. She had NO reason to stay.

And yet, her hand hovered just inches from the shield, as if some invisible force were preventing her from turning it clockwise and escaping to another path. She struggled against the invisible force, gritting her teeth, sweat beading down her cheek; until finally, she released a sigh of defeat, dropping her arm altogether and recalling the Magical Girl attire, reappearing in her regular attire.

She couldn't leave them…even though she'd leapt through time again and again, bypassing several failed outcomes, she just couldn't abandon these girls to their fate. Even for her, it would be too cruel…

Somehow…

She would find a way to salvage it; if it cost her life!

* * *

"Eh?"

Rose eyes blinked with surprise at the sight before her. Just across the way, her friend Shizuki Hitomi was standing beside someone who had until recently been hospitalized, their fingers laced together in an intimate hold. "You two…are dating?" The pink-haired girl breathed, finding it hard to speak any louder.

Kaname Madoka had been heading down the path going to school that morning, finding herself heading to her destination alone. It had been an unusual occurrence, and it didn't help the already sour mood she was in. She knew that Sayaka wouldn't be there to greet her on the way down, but surely Hitomi would…

But no.

She didn't see her friend Hitomi until she had made it to the classroom. At first she'd thought, maybe the green-haired girl was avoiding her? Maybe the reminder of the three of them hanging out was too painful for the sweet girl?

But no.

Madoka discovered, heading back towards the direction of home after school had let out, her friend Hitomi hadn't met up with her at the usual spot because she was too busy occupied with another person; a boy.

"Yes…" The voice of the gentle female snapped Madoka out of her thoughts. The green-haired girl glanced shyly to the side; an air of melancholy hung over the trio. To her side, Kamijou Kyousuke gave her hand a soft squeeze, indicating that everything would be alright. "We…um, we actually started seeing each other more just after Sayaka-san's…funeral…" She choked on the last word, finding it hard to keep cheerful with the morbid thought of her friend's death in mind.

"I…see…" Madoka wavered in place, rose eyes shaking at the sight. She should've been happy for her friend, right? She'd found love in the midst of her turmoil, after all! Except, well…that same love was…what Sayaka wanted. "W-Well, I'm happy you two were able to find happiness!" She choked on her own lie, clasping her hands together, trying to maintain the cheerful demeanor she always did when excited for other people's fortune. But she couldn't do it. "I…I'm sure you will brave many things together…" Madoka's words petered out, her gaze meeting with the cobblestone ground.

Really, she wanted to be happy for them!

But then, wouldn't she be mocking Sayaka's desires? To the public, the blue-haired girl was dead. Even if Sayaka could muster up the courage, she wouldn't ever have the chance to tell Kyousuke how she felt. All she could do was watch from the sidelines, as someone close found the love she'd been searching for.

Something like that…it was just too cruel!

And maybe that was the primary reason why she couldn't forgive that redheaded demon. Alive or not, Sayaka could no longer reside among the living; she had no choice but to solely live the life of a Magical Girl.

"Madoka-san?" Hitomi's gentle voice wavered with concern, breaking the pink-haired girl out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?" Madoka nodded slowly. "I'm okay…it's just…" Sayaka had loved Kamijou Kyousuke with all her heart. To see Hitomi with him, when all Sayaka can do is fight…but she couldn't fault them. After all, they couldn't pause their lives, their desires, for someone who they thought was dead. If anything, Hitomi was likely thinking of honoring Sayaka's memory by living her life to the fullest, as Sayaka would have. It was complicated. And the most complicated thing about it, really, was the fact that Magical Girls' Soul Gems repaired if there was a body to return to.

What could she tell Sayaka?

"I know what you're thinking, Madoka-san…" Hitomi placed a hand gently on the shorter girl's shoulder. "How could we just move on, live life and love, when Sayaka-san…" She bit her lip, turning her head sharply to the side. "It's hard…really, it is. But it's because it's so hard that we must learn to live past this moment."

"My time in the hospital, and Sayaka's death…" Kyousuke closed his eyes softly. "They've both taught me not to take anything for granted. We should enjoy every moment, as she would have. It was hard, but Shizuki-san and I found comfort in each other after that harsh time. We'll rise past this sorrowful point in our lives, and grow even stronger from it." He flexed his left hand, smiling fondly at the sight. Rose eyes widened as the realization sunk in. 'Sayaka-chan…she didn't!'

"We can't just put our lives on pause." The young man continued, oblivious to the turmoil rising in Madoka's heart. "Sayaka wouldn't want us to. She would want us to press forward, and always stay cheerful…just like she always encouraged me to." All those hospital visits, all those words of encouragement…in the end, they paid off. He wished, somehow, that there was a way he could properly repay her for all she'd done for him, but she was no longer around. This was all he could do.

"Y…You're right." Madoka replied softly, her voice cracking in her throat as she fought the emotions. "Sayaka-chan…she wouldn't want us to take life for granted! She-She would want us to live on, and be happy!" Her voice wavered with sadness; she could feel something warm and wet streaming down her cheeks. "I-I'm happy for you two! Really, I am! I wish you two…every…happiness…" She reached a hand up to her face, wiping the tears that were steadily falling. "I-I better head home, now; lots of homework to catch up on, after all!" She turned sharply on her heel, running away from the couple as fast as her legs could carry her, without adding any extra magic to it.

This was terrible…she was happy for them…

But what was she going to tell Sayaka!? She'd already promised to meet up with her after school!

* * *

Blades clashed violently against each other as the two warriors locked in combat. Each warrior stared at the other, one full of life and determination, the other dull and full of indifference. To the side, a raven-haired girl watched the girls' progress, royal-blue pools watching for any sign of rebellion. From her vantage point, she could hear the blue-haired knight shouting.

"C'mon, demon! I know you have more energy than that!" She pushed firmly against the spear's shaft, struggling with all her might to knock the redhead over, all the while shouting to try and break her concentration. Apparently, jeering didn't really affect the scarlet veteran, Sayaka discovered. Across from her, Kyouko stared deadpan at the overly excitable knight. She could count at least ten different ways she could take the upper hand in this situation; really, the azure female left herself wide open. But she didn't bother taking it. Instead, she pushed lightly back against the taller girl's blade with little effort.

It did help, of course, that she'd finally gotten proper rest and healing. And, while she still couldn't get herself to stomach anything, she was sure that in time she would manage to convince her body once again that food was essential. It was slow, but she was making improvements.

So, even if half-heartedly, her skills reflected it. Finally deciding the girl's ridiculous shoving was getting a little boring, she pushed with strong force against the blue-haired girl's blade, shoving her back a generous length. Immediately after, she swung her spear-whip right smack into the knight, knocking her back even further until she hit the wall with a powerful THUD. "AUGH!" Sayaka cried out, falling onto the white floor, a growl escaping her lips as fast as she began to pick herself back up. "You little…you were playing with me before!" She barked, already feeling the recovery process taking place, her ribs snapping back together. "Fight your all, dang it!"

"And am I supposed to reveal all my tricks in a real battle?" The redhead replied with a tilt of the head, reconnecting the spear so it was whole once more. "Anyway, this is only training. If I gave my all against you during training, I'd kill you again." Sayaka grit her teeth in response, preparing her sword. "You think that, just because you killed me once and you've been doing this longer, that you're that much BETTER than me!?" She charged forward, glaring down her opponent as she drew nearer.

"Experience helps, yeah." Kyouko replied nonchalantly, waiting until just the right moment to leap over the girl's charge. Flying through the air, she watched the girl from an upside-down angle as said knight skidded to a stop, surprise on her features. "It doesn't help you that your movement's still too reckless. You're charging forward without a second thought, without even a backup in case things go south." She flipped until she was upright, landing deftly on the ground, immediately turning on her heel to face Sayaka. "You gotta keep on your toes; you feel me?"

"SHUT UP!" The blue-haired knight leapt into the air, preparing an air-borne dive towards the redhead. "I don't wanna hear that from YOU!" Kyouko glanced up at her, eyes half-lidded as she gauged the timing. Unlike the pink-haired girl and her surprising flexibility with the arrows, Sayaka's movements were too straightforward, too reckless. It was all too easy to read her actions, and how to avoid them.

And yet, did she really want to avoid it? At the angle Sayaka was at, if Kyouko didn't move right away it would likely shatter the redhead's Soul Gem. It wouldn't be suicide, per se, to be killed in combat by way of slow reflexes…and if she were dead, she wouldn't have to worry about Grief Seeds, or blood on her hands, or anything like that.

However, when the time came, Kyouko leapt out of the way, watching as the knight collided with the white expanse of space. In the end, she couldn't let herself get killed. Just like she couldn't let the Ice Witch get her so long ago. She was a survivor, first and foremost…

And anyway, she didn't deserve relief.

"You're MOCKING me!" Sayaka growled, standing up to her feet, sword at the ready. She was so engaged with her battle against the redhead, she didn't notice the sound of the doorbell ringing, nor did she spot the raven-haired girl in the background slipping around the corner to greet whoever was at the door. All she could see in that moment was Kyouko. "Waiting until the last minute to move away, teasing me…you're really starting to piss me off!" The redhead gave a light shrug in response, perched up on the pedestal swinging in the background. It was surprisingly duller than it looked, she noticed, running her fingers along the edges of the pendulum. "Again, it's all about tactic. Although, for your skillset I could probably get away with moving a little sooner, and not having to worry about you catching on since you're stuck charging."

"Why, you…get down from that pendulum and say it to my face!" The blue-haired knight barked, her fist shaking toward the redhead in a comical manner. "Y-You flea! Coward! Get down from there and face me!" The redhead rolled her eyes in response before allowing herself to roll freely off the structure, falling towards the ground before she flipped into an upright position, heels clacking against the surface. As soon as she did, she immediately took note of the raven-haired girl's absence. "Uh? Where'd Dark and Mysterious go?" She blinked in surprise. Sayaka quirked an eyebrow, suspicious that this was another tactic she was throwing out, to try and distract the knight. "I'm not falling for that." She declared, keeping her blade steady.

"No, really!" Kyouko pointed toward the direction Homura had originally been standing. "It's just us in here, now! When did that happen?" Sayaka rooted herself in place, gritting her teeth. "Just shut up and focus on the battle, demon!" She cried, preparing for another charge. The redhead sighed irritably, giving a roll of the eyes as she immediately recalled her spear, along with her transformation, appearing in the loose t-shirt and sweatpants she'd been lent. Without waiting for the blue-haired girl to take notice, she made her way past the training ground, stepping onto the hardwood floor and around the corner. Sayaka blinked in surprise, whipping her head around. "Wha-hey! Where are you going?!"

"To find out where she went, of course. She's supposed to be keeping an eye on us to make sure we don't kill each other." Kyouko reminded, stepping lightly across the hardwood surface with quick movements; she stopped short at the foyer when the sight of raven caught her eyes. "Oh, there you are." She remarked casually, but stopped short when she overheard the concern in the slightly taller girl's voice.

"Are you sure?"

Scarlet eyes narrowed; she stepped carefully out of direct view, taking note of the pink puppy tails peeking out from behind the raven-haired female. Rosy was here, it looked like. And it didn't look like she was bearing good news.

"Yes…" Madoka nodded slowly, eyes refusing to meet Homura's. "I...don't want to worry her…but I don't want to keep her in the dark about it, either." She brought her fists tightly against her collarbone area, a mix of determination and uncertainty in her eyes. "I-I also don't think it's a good idea for her to find out about it on her own! L-Like, if she were hunting for a Witch, and she happened to…stumble on their…"

Royal-blue eyes wavered in concern. This was it. This was what she didn't want to happen. It was only the second week, and already Shizuki Hitomi had made her move. An event that normally didn't happen until the third week of the month…had been moved up, all due to Miki Sayaka's "death". "No…we wouldn't want that. But I doubt that she would take the news well, either." She sighed, raising a finger to rub her temple; she could feel a familiar headache coming on. And this time, the only one who might possibly be able to lift the blue-haired girl from her depression was in a rocky spot, herself.

Her eyes lit up. Wait. Maybe this was it? Maybe, in seeing that Miki Sayaka was starting to fall, Sakura Kyouko would break out of her unstable position, as she had been proven to do in previous timelines? "…As her best friend, I leave you with the decision of whether or not to break the news to her. Just remember; oftentimes, the right thing to do tends to be the hardest. Even if you may think you're protecting her by keeping the truth secret…you're just going to make it even worse when she does find out."

"I know…" Rose eyes shook sadly toward the hardwood floor. "Is…is she busy, right now?" Homura turned her head toward the direction of the labyrinthian room. "She and Sakura Kyouko are currently training. They must learn to face each other, without the intent to kill."

Quietly and carefully, the redhead stepped back, eyes narrowed. What was it that would break the blue-haired girl so badly? Without a sound, she slipped back around the corner, making her way back into the white expanse of space where she'd left her sparring partner. "Rosy's here." She calmly stated, eyes glazed over in thought. The sudden voice resounding from seemingly nowhere startled the blue-haired knight, who had until now been sitting on the couch, examining her weapon. "GUAHH! You scared me; when did you get back!?" She frowned at the redhead, before looking back at her sword. "Anyway, I noticed a funny trigger thing here. I wonder what it does?" Kyouko glanced sidelong, stared a moment at the weapon, then dismissed it with a shrug. "I dunno. You can test it, if you want."

"Great!" The knight jumped to her feet, preparing her blade. "I've been waiting to get back to our fight!" Scarlet eyes rolled around in their sockets. "I don't mean NOW, silly. Rosy's here to talk to you. Apparently it's something REALLY important. Has her and Dark and Mysterious in a tizzy." Sayaka frowned quizzically, recalling her transformation along with her blade. "In a…tizzy? Both Madoka and that transfer student?" She stepped forward a few feet before stopping short, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Wait a minute…you're not trying to create mistrust between us…are you?" Kyouko glanced casually at the taller girl, a nonchalant expression on her face. "Am I? I guess you're just gonna have to see for yourself."

"You…" Sayaka's brows furrowed in anger. So she was going to play it that way, was she?! "You know what, forget you!" She barked, pushing past the redhead, paying no mind to the fact that she'd nearly knocked the shorter girl off her feet. Kyouko struggled to keep her footing before glancing over her shoulder at the direction the blue-haired knight went. 'Well…may as well listen in and find out what's really going on; might find some entertainment in it, anyway.'

 _ **More importantly, we might find a weakness we can exploit.**_

She closed her eyes tight, feeling a wave of nausea kicking in. With a faint groan, she pinched her forehead gently, allowing herself to stand in place for a moment while she gathered herself. The headaches were coming back; that wasn't a good sign.

"Madoka!" She could hear the knight's voice from the other room. "Hey! How was school?"

"School was…fine." The pink-haired girl responded. Even without seeing the scene, Kyouko could imagine the girl was struggling to maintain eye contact, if the nervous undertone of her voice was any indication. "I-I was actually able to take proper notes this time! I only doodled once, hehe…"

"Oh, you." Sayaka teased playfully. Followed by that was a playful squeak from the Rosy Magical Girl; it sounded forced. Clearly the pink-haired girl was hiding something from her friend. But, well, Kyouko knew that. It wasn't her fault the knight wasn't willing to trust what she had to say.

"By the way, Madoka…that redheaded demon over there said you had something you needed to tell me?"

Oh? Maybe she was willing to listen, after all. The redhead made her way closer, peeking just around the corner, just in time to catch the nervous gestures from Madoka. This girl sure didn't know how to play it cool, did she?

"W-Well…I…" Madoka glanced away, her lips pressed together in a thin line, as if she was burdened with being the deliverer of bad news. "I-I was just going to say…how…much everyone missed you in class! K-Kamijou-kun is out of the hospital now…he wishes he could have been there for you more…" Her eyes trailed to the ground. Sayaka's eyes saddened, she too gazing at the ground. "Right…Kyousuke…" The reminder of the violinist only served to make the truth of her 'death' that more unbearable. "I-I guess…someone else will be with him now, huh? I-I mean, he deserves to find love…" She sighed, fists clenching and unclenching. "It wouldn't be fair to cling to him after death."

Scarlet pools took note of the sudden tenseness in Madoka's shoulders. 'Oh, this is just about some boy trouble? How boring.' She sighed, turning on her heel, only to run into cold royal-blue eyes, causing her to jump back in surprise. "WAH!" She cried, catching her footing almost as quickly as she'd lost it. "Sheesh, quit sneaking up on people!" She scolded the raven-haired female before her.

"Did you hear what we were talking about, before?" Homura asked, her eyes sharp and cold. "Did you tell Miki Sayaka to ask Madoka about it?" Kyouko rolled her eyes in response, glancing casually back at the pink and blue duo. "And if I did? Don't they wanna be honest with each other, as 'best friends'? Or is honesty not an important thing, anymore?" She gave a wry smirk. "Shouldn't she just go right out and tell her that her boy-crush has already been taken? Isn't that what her guilty look is for?"

Homura reached forward, gripping the redhead's shoulder, causing the slightly shorter female to push her off in response. "Don't touch me!" Kyouko snarled, taking a step back. Homura's eyes narrowed darkly, her eyes taking on an icy tone. "Miki Sayaka's business is her own. Whatever she and Madoka have to do, it's none of your concern. I'd prefer if you DIDN'T stick your unstable nose where it doesn't belong. Otherwise…there may be consequences." As she finished saying those words, she appeared behind the redhead, causing the scarlet female to jump back in alarm, spear manifesting in her hand. "You…do you want me to work with you, or not!?"

"Of course." Homura appeared a few feet away. It looked like, now that Sakura Kyouko wasn't actively consumed by her greed, that she was more easily startled. "That's what the payment in Grief Seeds is for. Isn't that all that matters?" Kyouko pursed her lips in response. "Of course…but trust is kinda important, too. I mean, I wouldn't feel comfortable working with someone who I don't know if they'll stab me in the back. THREATENING me, deal or no, is just going to make me want to leave."

"And where would you go?" Homura glared, folding her arms across her chest. "Kasamino is still within range of Walpurgisnacht's attack radius." Kyouko's eyes widened as she stepped back in alarm, before scarlet pools narrowed darkly, aiming the spear at the raven-haired female. "You…I don't remember telling you where I came from. What do you know about me…?! Who ARE you?!" Homura began to step out of range of the weapon, but Kyouko's spear immediately adjusted, the blade just inches from the nape of her neck. "WHO ARE YOU!?" The redhead snarled, eyes wide with a mix of anger and mistrust. Homura frowned, stepping back a few inches, only to find the spear in front of her again. She grit her teeth, fists clenching and unclenching as she thought of her next plan of action. She needed Sakura Kyouko on her side, both for Walpurgisnacht and to prevent the fall of Miki Sayaka. "I am Akemi Homura. That is all you really need to know." She closed her eyes, her hand running through her raven locks as she awaited Kyouko's next move.

"Oh, really?" A humorless chuckle brought Homura's attention, royal-blue pools opening with concern. Not a moment too soon, she just barely managed to dodge the powerful force of an attack from the scarlet female's spear, a ring of fire slowly dispersing from where Homura had recently stood. "If you're not going to trust me…then why should I trust you?" Scarlet eyes narrowed coolly at the slightly taller female, her head tilted to the side as her lithe form trembled with faint chuckles. "Why should I listen to you…?"

"Hey!" Sayaka's voice rang through the house as she and Madoka stepped into the training area, just in time to see Homura backed up against the wall, the blade of Kyouko's spear aimed at her neck. Azure eyes narrowed with anger, and she immediately called out her sword, pressing her finger hard on the trigger she'd been examining earlier. The blade shot out from the handle, digging itself straight into the redhead's side; with a sharp gasp of pain she stepped back, falling to one knee, using the shaft of her spear as support. She grit her teeth as blood dripped from her mouth, reaching a hand weakly towards the blade. Taking note of the fact that the redhead was no longer a threat, the blue-haired knight rushed to Homura's side, reaching out a hand for her to take. "Are you okay?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"You…" Kyouko gurgled weakly, forcing herself to her feet, using her free hand to tug the blade out of her side, stifling a cry of pain as the blade came out. Blood poured out of the now-exposed wound, dripping onto the wide expanse of floor. "THIS is how you get people to work with you?! NO! Forget this!" She glared darkly into royal-blue pools. "I'm DONE!" She might have been inclined to throw the spear to the side to illustrate her frustration over the situation, but that would have taken away her means of balance. Immediately, a hand flew toward her Soul Gem, protecting it from anything and everything around her. "You guys can deal with Walpurgisnacht on your own! You're not even going along with my simple terms, and you clearly don't want to put any trust in me!" She shook her head. "I know how you feel about my instability; how you ALL feel about it! You're SCARED of being around me! You only want to USE me, and then toss me aside!"

"W-Wait!" Homura rose to her feet, waving a hand to gently refuse Sayaka's offer. "W-We can still fix this! If we all think this through calmly-" Scarlet eyes narrowed further. "Then TELL me: WHO ARE YOU?!" She spat out in anger, blood dripping. Homura pursed her lips, eyes drifting to the side. "…Miki Sayaka…heal her."

"Wait, WHAT?! You want me to heal her, after what she tried to DO?!" Sayaka cried out incredulously, looking between the raven-haired girl and the scarlet demon. "She's a MANIAC! If we even leave her alone for one minute, she tries to KILL you!" Homura shook her head frantically. "That was MY error! I instigated her wrath!" She looked toward the redhead. "I'm sorry, Sakura Kyouko…I didn't mean to threaten you. I'm just…trying to keep everybody alive and in order. Trust is key here; I couldn't have you building mistrust between us based on what you heard." She sighed. "Though, there were several miscalculations on my part. I should have known that speaking to you, and approaching you in such a manner, would be likely to set you off."

"Are you just trying to get me to agree to working with you again?!" The redhead shook her head in disbelief. "I don't believe you! I asked you a simple question, and you try to justify your behavior!" Homura sighed in irritation. Honestly, she couldn't remember the last time Sakura Kyouko of all people gave her a headache. "I'm not justifying my behavior…quite the opposite; I'm acknowledging my errors, and I'm willing to discuss how we can mend our partnership. Between ALL of us."

"In short…" Kyouko adjusted her spear so that she could turn to face them head-on. "You're trying to win me back. So that we can all risk our necks against Walpurgisnacht. Is that it?" Homura frowned. "In all honesty, yes. But there is a higher chance of all of us surviving if we work together, without bickering or getting into fights." She stepped past the blue-haired knight, making her way across the floor until she stopped just inches from Kyouko, reaching out a hand. "It's in all our best interests that we defeat Walpurgisnacht together…remember?" If she thought it was nearly impossible to get Kyouko to work with her before, it was REALLY impossible now. The redhead was full of too much mistrust, and she honestly couldn't blame her. She took note of the bloodied hand covering the area of the cloudy red gem before turning on her heel, glaring at the taller azure female. "Miki Sayaka…I said, HEAL HER."

Azure eyes shook with a mix of confusion and anger. Why? Why did the transfer student still want to deal with that demon?! She was unstable! She didn't even want any part of them anymore; that much was obvious! And yet, she still insisted on making nice?! "I really don't get the tactic you're going for here, transfer student…" She growled, rising to her feet, slowly making her way toward the redhead. "But you clearly have your reasons…be grateful, demon." She spat out, a watery blade manifesting in her hand in place of the regular cutlass. "She's offering you more mercy than you deserve."

"I don't need your 'mercy'." Kyouko pushed Homura's hand away, stepping further from the blue-haired knight. "And you can keep your healing magic, too. If you guys think I can't manage on my own, you're sorely mistaken." She grit her teeth in pain from the sudden movement, involuntarily coughing out blood, wracking her already fragile form. Homura frowned. "If you try to fight a Witch in your current state, you will die. Your Soul Gem is already quite muddy." She was answered by another humorless chuckle; the spear dispersed into nothingness, leaving the redhead to fall to the ground. "Don't think…this changes anything…" She spat out more blood. "You still haven't told me who you are…"

"Save your drama." Sayaka retorted, rolling her azure eyes as she knelt to the ground beside her, thrusting the watery blade into the redhead as it rippled against her pale skin. "Hey Madoka, mind prepping something for this idiot to eat, while we're at it?"

"Ah!" Madoka blinked in surprise, caught off guard from suddenly being addressed. She'd just been standing on the sidelines, unsure of what to do or even who to talk to; the fact that Sayaka gave her something to occupy herself with was actually a bit of a blessing, in this situation. "Uh, yes! W-What should I make?" Kyouko shook her head against the ground, laying helplessly in place as Sayaka's magic spread through her weak form. "Don't even bother…it's probably not even gonna mean anything…" She mumbled bitterly, eyes squinting as she stared at the white expanse speckled with crimson. Homura glanced down at her in concern before looking back toward the pink-haired girl. "Make something light and soothing; a simple soup would probably be best." Madoka jerked her head down in a hurried nod. "Okay!" She quickly turned on her heel, making her way around the corner, toward the direction of the kitchen.

"Soup, again?" Sayaka raised an azure brow. She glanced down at her unwanted patient, taking note of how still she'd become. So she finally lost consciousness, did she? "Why are we having soup again? Is her stomach pathetic or something?" Homura nodded. "Actually, yes. In all honesty, I'll be amazed if she manages to stomach even this much." She sighed, reaching a hand to her forehead, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "She's…not well. And not just mentally; she's physically struggling. And while I certainly hope that she'll be better in time for Walpurgisnacht, honestly, I just hope that she'll get better at all." Sayaka frowned, eyes softening just slightly. "…I don't get you. Why do you care about her so much? Why do you bother trying for her?" Homura sighed, eyes staring into the distance. Why did she try? What was the point? What caused her to go through timeline after timeline, failure after failure, just to run into more and more anomalies? Why didn't she just ditch this timeline at the beginning? "Because…" Royal-blue pools shook with sadness.

"It's all I have left."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, this might have progressed a little faster than I wanted. Either that, or it feels too drawn out. All in all, there's stuff going on, but I wonder if maybe things are a little jumbled in this chapter.**

 **Jumbled events aside, now Kyouko doesn't trust any of them, Madoka's keeping something from Sayaka, and Homura is desperately trying to keep everything together, despite the fact that she's concluded long ago it's a lost cause. Well, I'm glad she's still got hope for this timeline.**

 **I'm kinda bouncing around in my head where to progress next in the story, so we'll have to see how long it takes for the next chapter to come out. As always, comments and reviews are helpful, and if you have any opinions, I'd love to hear them. ^ ^**

 **Until next time, then. Hopefully, things will seem a little less jumbled. (Although, jumbled is kinda Kyouko's brain right now, so I guess it fits?)**


	8. Chapter 8: Trial

'It's all I have left.'

Homura frowned in thought, staring down at the unconscious redhead spread across the mattress of her bed. 'I actually admitted it to myself.' She sighed, shaking her head. 'Isn't it true, though? This hopeless maze is all I have left to live for…and if I just give up and start over, at every obstacle thrown at me…I'll be trapped in here forever.' Royal-blue pools trembled softly. Her lips parted, just slightly. "At least…if I'm going to abandon this timeline…please let me tone things down a little, first…"

"Mmnn…"

The raven-haired female straightened up in an instant, pursing her lips tightly. Sakura Kyouko was waking up. She took a breath, two, to calm herself in the face of the unstable veteran as she roused from her state of unconsciousness. Please let her be stable, Homura prayed silently. Please let her be more understanding.

Scarlet eyes opened with a start as Sakura Kyouko sat up at quick speeds, pupils reduced to pinpricks as she gathered her surroundings, a slight tremor to her lithe form at her unfamiliar place of position. Homura frowned, watching the female as she whipped her head left and right, before she prepared herself to face the unstable female once more. "You're awake." The minute her words slipped out, the redhead whipped her head sharply around to face the stranger in the room. Her eyes remained wide and vacant as she worked to remember who exactly was in front of her, and whether or not it was a threat. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You passed out from loss of blood." A sigh escaped the raven-haired girl's lips. "You need to take better care of yourself, Kyouko."

As scarlet pools took in the sight of the raven-haired stranger before her, events of the last several days began to play back through her mind. This girl…she was the girl that demanded her help against Walpurgisnacht…the one who offered Grief Seeds…and the one who demanded that she keep her mouth shut. What exactly did she want from her?! Demanding her services for a threat that may or may not exist, offering a deal that's been more or less spotty, and threatening her for even attempting to speak the truth?! She frowned, inching back just slightly. She released a shaky breath, expression hidden by her scarlet bangs, before she glanced back at the raven-haired female. "You never did answer my question before…who ARE you?"

Who was she? Homura frowned in confusion. This was the umpteenth time she'd been asked that, and Homura had told her a long time ago what her name was. Nonetheless, she knew it was more trouble than it was worth to argue. "…I told you, my name is Akemi Homura-"

"I ALREADY KNOW YOUR NAME!" Homura stepped back, just slightly, from the redhead's outburst. "WHO ARE YOU!? KYUUBEY DOESN'T REMEMBER CONTRACTING YOU, YET YOU SEEM TO KNOW AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT THIS AREA FOR SOMEONE WHO JUST CAME HERE! AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT WALPURGISNACHT'S COMING?!" She grit her teeth, burying her head in her borrowed shirt. "Not to mention, you know about me and Tomoe Mami…" She shook her head frantically, glaring darkly at the raven-haired female. "You expect me to TRUST YOU?! Then give me a reason! If you want my trust, then QUIT HIDING SO MANY SECRETS!" Quit hiding so many secrets? Well, didn't that sound familiar; although, normally Akemi Homura didn't usually run into this much mistrust from anyone but Miki Sayaka. It looked like the tables had turned, this timeline. Did instability really change that much? "…FINE." Yet, on the other hand, Kyouko had always been the one who believed her when she actually spoke the truth of anything. "If I tell you the truth about who I am, will you work with me against Walpurgisnacht?" She was always the one who supported her, was always the Magical Girl that almost made it to Walpurgisnacht.

Well, that was quick. Kyouko blinked with surprise at the girl's question. Was she actually going to open up and actually start explaining herself, now? "…Tch. Fine, whatever." A scarlet brow rose at the sight of a small smile forming on the raven-haired female's face. Homura began to make her way forward, taking a seat by the redhead, causing Kyouko to inch back further from the other female. Homura closed her eyes, taking a breath, before opening them again. "For starters…how are your injuries?"

"My injuries?" Kyouko frowned, eyes shifting sidelong, body unconsciously tensing up at the slightest mention of possible weakness. "They're…fine, I guess. Nothing I haven't dealt with before." Sure, she felt weak still, but that was mainly due to her fatigue and hunger. Her actual wounds felt just fine, thanks to the impressive healing power of that Miki Sayaka. "But waitaminute!" She jerked her head towards the raven-haired girl, growling. "Don't try to change the subject on me!"

"I'm not." Homura calmly stated. "I'm just simply worried about your condition. Your body's been through a lot lately, and it hasn't had much chance to rest." Taking a moment to prepare herself, she breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly through her nose. She hadn't revealed her actual powers and identity in what seemed like a lifetime ago, back when she was trying to convince the others Kyuubey had tricked them. She blinked in realization; she'd never tried explaining to Kyouko about who she was before, had she? "The reason why I knew about you and Tomoe Mami…is because I'd run into that bit of knowledge prior to coming here."

"W-What?" Kyouko paused, inching back slightly, scarlet brow raised in confusion. "How could you have heard about that?" Homura sighed, shaking her head slowly. "No, let me rephrase that. The reason why I know so much about all of you, and about Walpurgisnacht…"

"…Is because I'm not from this timeline."

Kyouko's eyes widened in surprise; yet within her moment of confusion, she felt things become a little clearer. "Y-You're a…time traveler? And that's why you know of what happened with us, or, just, anything you've been spouting." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "And based on your reactions, my…situation isn't something you usually run into."

"No." Homura agreed, closing her eyes. "This particular anomaly is one I've never encountered before, in any shape or form. Just the thought of it has perplexed me this entire time, and the thought that I wouldn't be able to have you as an ally is a sobering one." She sighed, shaking her head. "I hate to sound like I'm nagging, but I really do need your help with Walpurgisnacht. And, once we defeat it, I want to help you find your place." She opened her eyes, glancing warily at the door. "I know you think no one cares about you. And, unfortunately, I can't change the other two's minds about you. But I can stand by your side to help you out when the time comes." Kyouko's eyes softened, just slightly. "You'd do that…? But, why? I've obviously been more trouble than it's worth." Homura nodded. "You're not wrong about that. But you've also always been there, in some shape or form, to help out. This time, I want to return the favor. In return for helping me out against Walpurgisnacht I'll hand you every other of my Grief Seeds, plus I'll stand beside you as support when you need it once the storm has passed. That is my new offer."

Kyouko frowned in thought, mulling over the choices in her head. Really, there wasn't much to think over. She was offering every other Grief Seed still, which was a great offer in itself, plus she was offering support against the battles she would have to face against Walpurgisnacht afterwards. "Thanks…but I don't need your every other Grief Seed. I'll take your support, however. That'll come in handy, for sure." She sighed, allowing the tension and mistrust to seep out of her body, just a little, removing some of the stress that had been wearing her down. Homura blinked in surprise. "You…won't take the Grief Seed offer?"

"If I'm going to battle this obsession of mine, I've gotta nip it in the bud." Kyouko nodded with determination. "Starting with not cheating you guys out of Grief Seeds you earned. I've already received a large amount from when you and Rosy were giving me Grief Seeds, so I'm more than good." She was partially telling the truth. It was true that she'd received a lot from the two through their deal. But she'd used up almost all of those due to her great need for replenishing her Soul Gem on a regular basis. The last thing she wanted Homura to know, however, was that she was struggling with her supply. If she was going to be able to successfully cut back, she needed to convince the others she didn't need it.

 _ **Even though, ultimately, she knew it would more than likely backfire…**_

Homura nodded, a soft smile forming on her pale lips. "I'm glad. I was afraid that after what had happened, you would refuse to help altogether now." She slid off the bed, stocking feet meeting contact with the floor. "There's some light soup in the kitchen that Madoka prepared for you. I know your attempts to keep food down last time weren't very successful, but it never hurts to try again. The sooner you can get food back in your system, the better you'll feel." With light steps, the raven-haired girl made her way to the bedroom door, her fingers brushing the handle before it creaked slowly open. "Don't be spending all day in here." She glanced over her shoulder one more time at the redhead, a gentle expression on her face as she muttered a silent thank you, before stepping out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

Kyouko nodded slowly. She was done acting like a coward. She was done relying on outside sources to bring her back on her feet. Slowly and carefully, she slid off the bed, bare feet touching rough carpet as she straightened herself out, reconfirming her balance before making her way across the bedroom, opening the door a little more before slipping out. Immediately she shielded her eyes, the white expanse of the unusual living room a stark contrast to the dark bedroom she'd just stepped out of.

"Ah, you're awake, Sakura Kyouko-san!" She was greeted by the bubbly yet cautious voice of the rosy Magical Girl. Kyouko responded with a noncommittal nod, a curt grunt coming from her throat. "Hey. You hung around, did you?" Madoka stepped back, looking a little tense. "I…I made you some soup. Homura-chan told me you needed something light to eat." Scarlet eyes shifted her way, an uninterested frown marring her soft features as she hummed dully in response. Madoka frowned, looking down at the floor. "Um…I-I still haven't gotten the chance to get to know you fully…but you shouldn't push yourself too hard, okay?" She looked back up at the redhead, a look of concern in her doe-like eyes. "If you find something's too tough, or you're having a hard time with things…"

"Why are you pretending to care?"

Madoka's eyes widened for just an instant before they hardened again, her lips pursing together in a thin line. "…We're allies right now. Whether I like you or not, we need to work together. We'll never accomplish that by constantly coming to blows like we've been. I'm sorry if I sound two-faced, but this is all I can do." Kyouko chuckled humorlessly. "Nah, you're not the two-faced one. You're just trying to play the middle man." She sighed, stepping past the shorter girl. "I'll try some of the soup you prepared, but I may or may not be able to finish it. I'll do what I can, though." She walked across the floor of the white expanse that made up the living room, making her way toward the kitchen where she could smell the savory aroma of the soup.

Madoka released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "That…could've gone worse." She glanced towards the couch, where her childhood friend was watching, azure eyes narrowed. "Now, Sayaka-chan…you don't have to be so wary even now."

"I don't?" Sayaka barked, pushing off the couch, making her way over. "Even after she had a blade to her only ally's NECK? I don't care if it takes a lot to kill us; I STILL haven't seen any reason to believe she'll even work with us. Heck, I honestly have LESS trust in her than I did before! It just feels…weird, putting ourselves in the hands of someone who can't even keep track of her own sanity!" Madoka nodded slowly, glancing the direction of the kitchen. "True…but what else can we do?"

"If you don't trust her, we'll just have to build up your trust in Sakura Kyouko." A cool voice spoke up, royal-blue pools staring sharply at Sayaka. "Unstable or not, she's still a veteran. She can teach you to be a stronger Magical Girl. And maybe, in time, you can help her to become stronger in her own way." Sayaka jerked her head in front to face the girl across from her, eyes full of disbelief, her mouth wide and gaping. "ExCUSE me?! You want me to team up? With HER!?"

"She's actively trying to improve herself. I've seen her attempts the entire time she's stayed in this house. But she's struggling." Homura closed her eyes softly. "If she can help someone else along, it may help her to strengthen herself, as well." That was just the kind of Magical Girl she was, Homura noted to herself.

The sound of coughing and retching from the other room got their attention, the three girls immediately rushing over to see what the ruckus was all about. "Oh no, not again…" Homura muttered under her breath, stocking feet meeting with the tiled floor as she came to a stop, staring down at the redhead who couldn't seem to keep the contents of her food in. Behind the raven-haired girl, Sayaka and Madoka stared in surprise. "You couldn't even make it to the sink this time, could you?" Royal-blue orbs narrowed in irritation, gazing at the sink just a few feet away. The redhead glared up at her in response, the half-eaten soup still sitting at the table. "Oh, shut it." She coughed a little more. "At least I managed a few more bites first, so that's improvement." Scarlet eyes shifted, annoyed, at the duo behind her host. "And since when did me not keeping my food down become a spectacle? Get outta here, all of you! I'll…" She slowly pushed herself, with a grunt, to her feet. "I'll get this cleaned up…"

"Kyouko."

Kyouko didn't even bother looking over at the raven-haired girl addressing her, opting instead to grab the used towel, using it to absorb the mess before proceeding to rinse it out in the empty sink. "What." Homura took that as her cue to continue, stepping forward to assist the redhead in her cleaning. "Starting tomorrow, I want you and Miki Sayaka to work together as fighting partners. I think that, with proper training and support, the two of you would rise all the better from it." A pale hand roughly gripped Homura's wrist, causing her to blink in surprise. The redhead shoved her back, a cold look on her face. "Me and Miki Sayaka? As fighting partners? Need I remind you that I killed her before?" At this, she glared up at the azure female, causing Sayaka to heighten her guard, growling lowly. Kyouko stared pointedly back at Homura. "I was willing to go along with your idea in training with her, WITH your supervision, enough that we wouldn't kill each other against Walpurgisnacht. But you're talking about full-on fighting partners, here! Indicating that you want us to hunt together, train together…"

"I do." Homura calmly stated, refusing to let the girl's protests sway her opinion. "I sincerely believe that the two of you, once you can learn to work together, would provide optimum firepower against Walpurgisnacht." Kyouko stared up at her, an incredulous expression on her face, before barking out a laugh of disbelief, slowly resigning herself to the time traveler's decision. "I don't believe you!" She shook her head slowly, a humorless grin on her face before finally giving a curt nod, finishing up with wiping the mess, rinsing it in the water one more time before proceeding to make her way over to the bathroom. Glancing over her shoulder, she muttered a barely audible "Fine." With that, she continued on her way, leaving the three in the kitchen.

"You're kidding!" Sayaka cried out, shaking her head. "I can't work with her! She's a nutcase!" Homura glanced sidelong at her. Ah, there was the stubborn azure knight she was used to. "You're going to have to. We need to work together, and that's not going to happen unless you learn to trust each other. I don't care what your relationship is after, but we HAVE to support each other if we're going to survive.

Sayaka frowned. She glanced back at her shorter friend, a look of uncertainty on her soft features. What was she supposed to do? They couldn't trust the redheaded demon. But, at the same time, they had to protect the city. Madoka slowly nodded, a grim expression on her face as she thought the same thing as Sayaka.

They really didn't have a choice in the matter, if they were going to make it out alive.

* * *

 _ **Is it really wise to trust them?**_

Kyouko stood silently over the hamper, staring dully at the towel she'd thrown in.

 _ **After all, if this time traveler had really gone through timeline after timeline, who was to say she would stick around for this one?**_

She turned, slowly, on her heel, proceeding to wash her hands of the mess she'd wiped up. She could still taste the sickening combination of bile and ash in her mouth. "I've never really given anyone a chance…even Mami-san; I didn't take the time to try to work together with her through this. Maybe it's about time I stopped thinking only about myself for a change…" The water against her pale skin was cool and refreshing to the touch. Maybe, if she gave Miki Sayaka a chance to get a little closer…

…She could be cleansed for real.

* * *

Stepping out of the bathroom, she made her way back into the kitchen, taking note of the fact that there seemed to be just a little less tension in the air. A peachy hand threw itself in front of her, causing Kyouko to step back in surprise, scarlet eyes hanging on the appendage in confusion, before they flitted up to see nervous azure pools staring back at her. "M-Miki Sayaka…" She blinked in surprise.

"Just Sayaka's fine." The azure knight grumbled, looking away as she held out her hand. "Homura says it'd be better for us to work together, so I guess I have no choice." She glared defiantly. "Don't get the wrong idea! I still hate you; this is just what we have to do in order to protect the city! So…" Kyouko slowly nodded in understanding, reaching out a pale hand to take hold of the other girl's healthy one. With hesitation on both ends, they shook hands slowly, grips uncertain, before pulling away again, both girls looking away awkwardly.

"So…" Scarlet eyes glanced back toward blue. "Hunt later on tonight, then?" Sayaka frowned. "Homura said this doesn't have to start until tomorrow. Besides, Madoka's over right now." Scarlet brows furrowed in irritation. "That's why I said later tonight! It's close enough to the next day, and your friend will be back home at that point for school tomorrow or whatever!" The azure knight sighed, glancing back at the other side of the kitchen. Royal-blue pools narrowed dangerously at her, indicating there shouldn't be much rebellion. The taller girl sighed, looking back at the redhead. "Fine. Tonight, then. Until then, don't talk to me." With that, she made her way past the scarlet female, passing by without a second glance. Kyouko grimaced, a weak shrug of her shoulders. "She's stubborn, I'll give her that."

"She'll come around." Homura stepped forward, noting as pink puppy tails bobbed past her, Madoka making her way out of the kitchen to meet up with her friend in the living room. Royal-blue pools shifted back to red. "Of course, I'm going to need your cooperation through this, as well." Scarlet brows rose in response. "Huh? I thought I was already cooperating by working with her?" The raven-haired female sighed, glancing to the side, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "There's…one other thing you need to keep in mind while partnering up with her." Kyouko frowned, suspicion evident on her pale face. "And that is…?" Homura closed her eyes, preparing herself.

"You need to hunt Familiars alongside Witches."

* * *

Scarlet eyes stared deeply into the night sky, her arm nestled against the shaft of her spear while she sat cross-legged, as she contemplated the commands of the time traveler. On the one hand, she was a time traveler; she'd been through this several times before, and probably knew what she was talking about. But on the other…

 _ **Could she really give up preserving Familiars for the sake of flimsy teamwork?**_

"There's no point in questioning it." She muttered darkly to herself, eyes dull and glassy. "If I'm gonna make this work, then I need to put forth the effort." In any case, Homura said she'd have her back when the time came. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off the only remaining ally she possibly had. The sound of heels clacking against the rooftop brought her out of her reverie, scarlet eyes gazing upward, catching sight of a white cape in the corner of her vision. "You're late." She drawled, her cheek resting lackadaisically against her palm, body hunched over. "I've been waiting here for fifteen minutes, now."

Sayaka sputtered indignantly in response, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Wha-shut up! It's not like I ASKED you to wait for me!" Kyouko sighed in response, pushing herself to her feet, resting her spear over her shoulder, the end of her coatlike attire billowing in the night wind. "That's the whole POINT of working together, rookie. You wait for each other, and keep each other safe. There's no point in having a partner if you won't be able to protect them. That's the first rule of teamwork, is to protect each other." Sayaka frowned, cutlass appearing in hand. "Like YOU'D know anything about teamwork?" A wry smirk slipped onto Kyouko's face as she straightened out. "As a matter of fact, I do. I wasn't always a solo player, if you can believe it." She leaned forward, kicking off from the rooftop, soaring through the night sky at high speeds. To her side, she could hear the other girl's cape flapping in the wind. "I don't believe it!" Sayaka cried out in disbelief, soaring alongside her, an azure brow rising. "YOU worked together with someone?!"

"Well, it was a few months' worth of partnership, at best." The redhead responded, feeling the currents of the wind shifting as they neared closer to the ground, the toe of her red boots meeting with another higher surface before leaping up again, the azure knight right behind her. "Maybe if I'm feeling generous, I'll tell you a little bit about myself sometime, rookie." Sayaka frowned in response, staring at the fiery red locks flying in the wind. "You think you're so special, don't you? Like you're some greater, higher being, and the rest of us would die to be as great as you?"

'Me? Special? Kch, no way…I'm just as small and insignificant as anyone else in this small world.' Kyouko's eyes narrowed darkly, but chose to remain silent. To preoccupy herself, she proceeded to put several months' tracking practice to good use. "…Our best bet would be to check out the red-light district, or places where murders or suicides often occur." An azure brow rose in response. "Why there? And you changed the subject on me." Kyouko sighed, kicking off another higher surface, feeling the chilled winds nipping at any exposed skin, causing an involuntary shiver to run down her spine. "Focus, rookie. Think about it: Witches, beings of despair, are likely to gather where there's the most despair. Places like hospitals, dark alleyways, shady businesses or abandoned factories…heck, even a company that just downsized would attract Witches, encouraging them to feed off the existing despair of their victims." Sayaka grit her teeth, eyes widening. "What-that's SICK! Witches are just messed up, aren't they?!" She frowned. "So, where do we go first?" The scarlet Magical Girl glanced back at her. "Let's go by the abandoned factories, first. I heard of one that recently shut down, so there's likely gonna be a Witch there." She glanced skillfully over the area below, mapping out the locations in her head before pointing her free hand at an area away from the rest of the city. "There! That's the factory."

"Alright, then." Azure brows furrowed with righteous anger. "Let's get that Witch, and save whatever victims may be there!" Kyouko bit her lip, focusing her attention on their destination.

 _ **It's not about saving people; it's about survival! Why won't this idiot get that?!**_

'No, it's not about survival…' They kicked off against another rooftop, flying through the air until they finally touched with the ground, clacking against the worn concrete path. "We're here." Kyouko glared up at the opening, taking note of the silhouettes she could see inside. "You got your wish, rookie. There're victims in there." Sayaka's eyes widened, rushing forward to take hold of the situation. A cuffed hand, pale and sickly, flew in front of her, blocking her path. "Slow down there, kid. What do you think will happen if we just burst in there, guns blazing?" The azure knight stopped short, gritting her teeth. Reluctantly, she answered, "We'd…be discovered…and then there could be a panic."

"Not quite that bad." Kyouko glared into the opening. "But we'll encourage them to act quickly with their choice of death, so that we don't get the chance to stop them. We gotta move swiftly and quietly. You stay on guard here real quick; I'll get the bucket of chemicals out of there." She snapped the shaft of her spear, forming it into a spear whip, before stepping quietly inside. Sayaka blinked in surprise, watching as she entered in. "Wha…stand by?" There was no way she could do that! People were in danger! And she couldn't trust that redheaded demon with those victims all alone! She rushed inside, cutlass in hand, preparing herself to act in the event of any danger.

Kyouko swung the spear-whip back toward herself, the bucket looped around it swinging just enough to draw sweat beading down her brow with nervousness. Quickly, she caught the bucket handle in her hand, pulling it out from between the chains of her weapon. She glared out from the darkness, watching the reactions of the crowd. They seemed confused, maybe, but other than that they didn't appear to catch on. Good. Now she just needed to quietly dispose of the bucket, and then find a way to knock out the-

The sound of heels clacking loudly against the pavement quickly drew Kyouko's attention, along with the crowd. They growled menacingly, walking with a slight stumble toward the azure knight, causing her to stop short, a bewildered expression on her face as she took in the slow stampede. "Wha-!? W-What's wrong with you guys!?"

The crowd was pulled roughly together by chains, knocking them all against each other, their glassy expressions slowly disappearing underneath eyelids. Sayaka's mouth opened wide with shock, watching as the crowd was slowly pulled back, the chains releasing from around them, scarlet eyes glaring reprovingly back at the knight. "You. I told you to stay put, didn't I?" Sayaka glared back, her stubbornness once again settling in. "Well, you-I didn't think-"

"That I would save them?" Scarlet eyes narrowed darkly, her scolding replaced with disappointment mixed with guilt, before releasing a sigh. They already viewed her as a merciless killer with no value for life; may as well let her believe it. "Well, it's part of the job. Besides, if a Witch devours people, it gets stronger and harder to deal with. Aside from having concern for the people's safety, it's more practical to keep the Witches from their victims." She stepped forward, leaning her spear on her shoulder once more. "That aside, YOU need to learn stealth. Those people were affected by a Witch's Kiss, which means that under the influence of the curse, they will do whatever they can to kill themselves or others. That includes us." She tapped the knight's shoulder. "You don't want the victims to spot you; you have to get them to safety, but safely."

Sayaka watched the girl as she walked past her, the pulse of her fire-red Soul Gem lighting up the dark area. She glanced down at her own Soul Gem, noting the pulse of her own blue light. "It's close." She heard the veteran say, looking back up at her before they proceeded to head toward the source of the magical pattern. "Hey…do you actually care about people, after all?" Sayaka asked, stepping carefully around the unconscious crowd before following after the veteran. "It's in here." Kyouko stated calmly, keeping her attention focused on the target. "Let's go." She grabbed the handle of the door, swinging it open and slipping into the darkness. Sayaka frowned, following suit. 'She didn't answer. I thought she would at least say no.'

The watery landscape of the Witch's barrier left the two girls floating through the air, heads turning left and right as they attempted to pick out the Witch from the winged familiars around. Sayaka gasped in surprise, pointing in the distance, bubbles appearing from the movement. "There! That box must be the Witch!" Kyouko nodded, lunging herself forward, spear at the ready. Sayaka rushed along after, cutlass at the ready. She couldn't quite place it. There was a lot the redhead wasn't telling her. With a loud battle cry, she rushed past the veteran with her blade prepared. Kyouko blinked, watching as the knight charged headlong into the Box Witch, gritting her teeth. Her usual tactic of rushing in without thinking was too reckless. It would only lead to a short life- she shook her head. That already got Sayaka killed before. And she couldn't be the one to bring that up since she was the one who killed her. Gritting her teeth, the redhead turned instead to the Familiars heading toward the knight. She needed to have her back, after all.

In the corner, she could spot the nostalgic sight of a slightly stronger Familiar breaking out of the Witch's domain, slipping out on its own.

 _ **Doesn't matter. It'll become its own Witch, with a Grief Seed and all.**_

Spear at the ready, she thrust herself strategically toward one of the twisted cupid-like creatures, blade tearing the body into shreds before it exploded in a dark mist. She then turned to the next one, a focused expression on her face, keeping herself occupied by the battle. Another twisted cupid flew her way, and she swung her spear through it, ripping it into shreds to join with its partner. Blow after blow, Familiar after Familiar, she kept Sayaka's back safe from the wrath of the minions while she tended to the Box Witch.

Soon enough, the landscape began to distort, stretch and bulge, before dissipating altogether, the two Magical Girls landing on the ground. Sayaka smiled victoriously as she stepped away from the remains of the Witch, watching as it faded into a dark mist. "Alright! That wasn't too bad at all!" A big grin was on her face as she picked up the obsidian object on the ground. "Looks like I took on the Witch before you could, huh?" Kyouko gave a small shrug in return. "You seemed pretty gung ho about taking it on. The Familiars were trying to sneak up on you, though. Got them handled." She frowned. "You're still too reckless in your fights though, Sayaka. You need to watch yourself more, or at least have a backup plan. Your healing magic may keep you on your toes, but it still wastes energy to rush into battle like you've been." She sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Try practicing a little more with that trigger on your sword."

"Yeah…I guess I was caught up in the moment to really think about it." The azure knight dismissed it with a shrug. "But we managed to get the Witch just fine, so it's all good." The redhead sighed in response, shaking her head. She stiffened up at the faint pulsing coming from her Soul Gem. That Familiar was still nearby.

" _You need to hunt Familiars alongside Witches."_

A lump gathered in Kyouko's throat; she forced it down with a swallow, eyes flitting nervously toward the knight. Hopefully she hadn't noticed the pulse; it wasn't incredibly strong to begin with. "Well, we'd better get going." She hurriedly walked past the taller girl, refusing to look her in the eye. Sayaka frowned, holding the Grief Seed in hand. She was that eager to find more Witches and collect more Grief Seeds, wasn't she? Of course. Grief Seeds were all that monster cared abou-she shook her head violently. 'Stop it!' She chastised herself. 'She's trying to improve herself…but it still feels like she's hiding a lot from me.' Her frown deepened. 'I still can't trust her.'

A pale blue light caught the knight's attention. She glanced down where her Soul Gem was located, the crescent-shaped gem pulsing faintly against her belly. "Another one! Kyouko, let's go find it!" Kyouko bit her lip. This was a Familiar. It didn't have a Grief Seed. It needed to become a Witch, first, in order to provide sustenance for Magical Girls. But the rookie didn't understand that. Her tongue ran nervously along her teeth, thinking of what to say, what to do, to keep the knight from charging after the lone Familiar. Nothing came to mind. And wasn't she trying to keep from having to rely on Grief Seeds?

 _ **There was a difference between relying on Grief Seeds and ensuring there were plenty of Grief Seeds for everyone.**_

"Look, it's been a long day." The scarlet Magical lamely explained. "We should start heading back to Homura's now." The azure knight raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What? But there's a Witch out there right now, searching for innocent people! We can't just leave it alone and do nothing!" Kyouko cringed. She had to say it at one point or another. "It's…not a Witch. It's a Familiar. It must have escaped the barrier we were just fighting while we were preoccupied." Azure eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Wait a minute…YOU were handling the Familiars; you saw it slip out, didn't you!?"

The scarlet Magical Girl could do nothing but nod in response. "Yeah. I saw it." Sayaka grit her teeth, brows furrowed in anger. "How could you!? I thought you were going to change! I thought you were trying to improve! Why would you…!?" She shook her head with disgust. Kyouko sighed. "Well, I could've gone after it. But if I had, that would've left the other Familiars free to ambush you while you were busy with the Witch. THAT'S why such reckless fighting is so dangerous. You didn't even think about the small fry; in numbers, they can be just as bad if not worse than the Witch itself! So don't you DARE say I haven't been trying to improve!"

"…Whatever. I'll bet you were hoping the Familiar would slip away and find its own victims while we were busy with the Witch's barrier, weren't you?" Sayaka glowered at her with cold eyes. The redhead flinched at her accusation, looking bitterly to the side. "…Yeah. Yeah, I was." The azure knight scoffed. "I knew it. How can I trust someone like that to have my back?" The redhead grit her teeth in frustration. "I DID have your back! I could've gone off on my own to take out the Familiar, but I handled the Familiars trying to sneak up on you instead!" Sayaka glared at her silently, before turning on her heel. "Let's just go get that Familiar." She growled, cutlass in hand as she stormed off, following the weak magical pattern pulsing through her Soul Gem.

Kyouko bit her lip, looking guiltily to the side. In the knight's shadow, she saw a reflection of herself, rushing passionately after the faint pulse of a Familiar's barrier, to ensure that nobody got hurt.

" _Why should it matter if it's a Witch or Familiar? It could still hurt innocent people!"_

The words of the past ran through her mind, its statement filled with innocence and naivety bringing a sense of nausea. She clutched the sides of her head with shaking hands. Gasping for air, she threw her arms to her side, following along after the knight. She had no choice but to follow along. She had no choice but to the watch the shadows of her past self unfold before her in the shape of the reckless rookie.

She had no choice but to fight the rising hunger in her soul.

* * *

"Homura-chan…" The usually bubbly voice that emanated from the pink haired girl was calm, low; uncertain. "Do you really think that Sayaka-chan and Sakura Kyouko-san will be able to support each other?" She stood off to the side, school bag in hand as she prepared to leave the house and head back home. Royal-blue pools stared softly back at her. "They're going to have to. They won't be able to proceed forward, otherwise." Madoka pursed her lips, running her fingers along the strap of her bag. "Walpurgisnacht is at the end of this month…right? Do you really think that they'll be able to get along by then? Sayaka-chan is, well…"

"She's unreasonably stubborn, at best." Homura finished with a tired nod. "But of course, Sakura Kyouko isn't helping matters this time…" She normally didn't, really, but this time it really showed their contention. Madoka frowned in confusion. "This time? What do you mean by that, Homura-chan?" The raven-haired girl shook her head in response. "It's nothing. It's getting late, Madoka. You should start heading home; we have school tomorrow, after all…" Madoka nodded slowly, turning on her heel and proceeding to walk down the street. "I'll…see you tomorrow then, Homura-chan. Again, thank you for caring for Sayaka-chan." She smiled faintly. "I'll leave her in your care. Bye now." She started off into a run, her small form slowly retreating into the darkness of the night.

Homura pursed her lips, glancing down at the ground, feeling small. 'I wish I could reassure her that nothing bad would happen to Miki Sayaka…I wish I could say for sure that they would be able to support each other, and get along…but with how things are, we'll be lucky if they don't kill each other for good before Walpurgisnacht." She closed her eyes softly. "Sakura Kyouko knows I'm a time traveler. That, at least, gives me some bit of comfort. Hopefully she'll do what she can to help me out…"

"I really don't think I could handle going through another timeline after this…"

* * *

 **A/N: Well, this took a while to come out, but I found a groove to work with for now.**

 **So, there's a bit of a strained partnership between Kyouko and Sayaka, but how long will it last? Even with Kyouko aware of Homura being a time traveler, she's still going through her own thing, so she may not be able to support Sayaka as much as usual. Only time will tell if they will be able to rise past their differences...or if they will fall.**

 **And what of Hitomi and Kyousuke's relationship? Will Sayaka find out about it? And how will she react when she does?**

 **All will be answered in time.**

 **As always, comments and criticism are greatly appreciated. The more feedback I have, the more I can work to improve. Even if you just want to predict what will happen next, it's always good to hear other people's opinions.**

 **Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9: Doubt

"YAAAA!" The battle cry of Miki Sayaka permeated the watery landscape, blade just barely missing the agile winged target; it flitted to the side, staring at her tauntingly for a moment before going up higher. "Don't think you can get away that easily!" The knight roared, charging after, surging through the barrier towards the winged creature, even as it moved ever further away. Her cutlass flew in front at the head, the blade lined up towards its target.

To the side, Sakura Kyouko remained out of the battle, her spear dangling from her hand, her mind conflicted. On the one hand, she was trying to rise past the pragmatic side of herself; caring more about the citizens **\- as ungrateful and horrible as they were -** and learning to rely on less Grief Seeds as she had been – **even though it was a fruitless effort by this point. It was already too late; she couldn't take in anything BUT Grief Seeds, to the point that it was literally the only thing keeping her going.** She glanced down at her Soul Gem, taking in its condition. It had a fair bit of cloudiness to it, but it looked like it would be okay for a little while longer – **or so she thought, but it was dark, too dark, too black, she needed Grief Seeds, she needed to stop that knight, that Familiar needed to mature!** She shook her head, gripping her spear tentatively in her hand, a ragged breath escaping her lips.

The azure knight had been following that Familiar around the entire time they'd entered the barrier - it had to have been ten whole minutes, now – with no luck. Every time she'd closed the distance between herself and the stronger twisted cupid, it would always find another way to elude her, leaving her more frustrated and full of rage towards the creature than before. Kyouko bit her lip, held a breath, and released it; that knight wasn't going to get anywhere. She needed to immobilize it, and charging head-on wasn't going to accomplish anything. Reluctantly, she snapped the shaft of the spear into segments, even as she felt herself fighting against it – **No, idiot, that'll produce a Grief Seed, it needs to stay, it needs to eat! We need to eat!** Swallowing a lump forming in her throat, she swung the spear-whip towards the cupid, watching as it occupied itself with taunting the knight.

It didn't even notice when the chains wrapped mercilessly around its wooden form.

The creature tensed at the restraints, immediately making the effort to try to pull away, its struggles proving to be in vain as the chains only tightened more. "Now, Sayaka!" The redhead cried out, signaling the knight. 'Strange.' She thought to herself. 'This was always Mami-san's position, and I would be in Sayaka's place…' Shaking her head of the past, she focused on the present task of keeping the Familiar immobilized. To her credit, Miki Sayaka reacted pretty quickly. The minute Kyouko had signaled the okay, the knight was right on the task, a battle cry escaping her lips as she charged toward the Familiar, tearing through it like sandpaper, its remains dissolving into a black mist, even as its shrieks of pain permeated the area. The scarlet Magical Girl proceeded with pulling the spear back together, twirling it around before resting it back on her shoulder, the lack of gravity in the watery landscape leaving her floating with the currents.

The lack of gravity didn't last, as the barrier dissipated into nothingness, returning the two girls back into the regular world, with regular gravity. In response, the girls landed with a clack of heels to their feet, the caped knight looking silently at the remaining vestiges of the barrier as it disappeared. Footsteps snapped the blue-haired girl out of her reverie, causing her to turn, with narrowed eyes, at her unwanted partner. "I still can't believe you let that thing get away to begin with." She snarled accusingly, recalling the transformation, reappearing in her old school uniform. "If you'd just gotten that Familiar to begin with, instead of leaving it to attack innocent people, we wouldn't have had to deal with this!"

Kyouko scoffed in offense, recalling her transformation as well, reappearing in the borrowed T-shirt and sweatpants, her feet bare. "You're welcome!" She sighed, placing her hand on her hips, looking away. "I know I messed up. You don't have to remind me. But I also tried, didn't I? And didn't I just restrain the Familiar for you to get rid of it?" **Against her own better judgement, that Familiar was supposed to mature into a Witch, provide a new Grief Seed!** "It takes time, okay? I can't become like you guys in one day!" Sayaka frowned, taking in what the girl said, looking her over. She had a point, after all; she could've just stayed on the side and let the knight tire herself out chasing after that Familiar. Yet, she did put forth the effort to help out. "…Fine. So you helped. But I'm still watching you." She pointed a finger to the redhead's face. "If I find you let another Familiar slip away, this partnership is OFF. I don't care WHAT Homura says." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Kyouko nodded in agreement. "Sounds fair. I'll see what I can do. Whether or not I can resist though, rest assured I've got your back." A pale hand patted the blue-haired girl's shoulder, only for it to be wrenched away. "I didn't say I wanted to be friends!" Sayaka's glare intensified. "Don't think you can suddenly get all buddy-buddy with me just because of one thing you managed to get right!"

Kyouko recoiled back, eyes shaking with hurt before she hardened herself once more, her expression neutral. "I know." She pulled her hand back, resting it against her hip, glancing subtly at her Soul Gem. **It was in terrible shape, she needed a Grief Seed, she needed to forget teaming up with these people, this would be the death of her!** "So, still up for hunting, or does my presence disgust you too much tonight?" Sayaka's frown lessened to a neutral expression, her eyes still staring cautiously at her. "…You're right. Maybe I overreacted. We should still continue hunting; we're never going to make this work if I freak out at every little thing." The redhead nodded, spear manifesting in hand, her eyes narrowed as she focused on her surroundings.

"Then let's continue on. There's a Witch nearby."

* * *

Emerald eyes stared sorrowfully out the window, taking in the cloudy skies overlooking the city landscape down below. Dainty fingers played with the moisture on the glass pane, before tearing away altogether, turning sharply on her slipper-covered heel. Maybe it had been too soon for Shizuki Hitomi to move in on the boy she knew Sayaka liked. It wasn't like she'd meant to steal him…but he was there for her. And Sayaka would have wanted her to be true to her heart.

And yet, the sorrowful look in Madoka's eyes, like the two of them had done the worst deed possible…

"Was I wrong…? Was it wrong of me to confess to Kamijou-kun?" Emerald pools shook softly, shimmering with the gathering of moisture in her eyes. She stepped lightly, with a heavy weight on her shoulders, to her bed, before slumping down to her knees, staring at the soft fabric forlornly. "Sayaka-san, you…you don't hate me for what I've done…right? You…understand, right?"

It was no secret that Miki Sayaka had been in love with the violinist. Ever since she, Hitomi and Madoka were young, the look of adoration in her eyes whenever she saw him, or spoke of him…and then, her dedication to be there by his side in the hospital, no matter the circumstances…anyone who didn't realize her love was no more than an idiot, for the love Sayaka had for Kyousuke was pure and real. And she, knowing her late friend's feelings, stepped in front no more than a few meager hours after Sayaka's funeral.

She grit her teeth, fair-skinned fingers gripping the bedding tightly.

"I…I'm such a terrible friend…" She choked on her sobs, feeling the sting of tears as they streamed down her face and onto the plush blanket. She just felt so disgusted with herself, realizing what an awful thing she'd done.

Through the stress, the hole in her heart began to tear wider, allowing access for the deepest, darkest thoughts of despair.

* * *

"And so you see, girls, you should never trust a man who only eats his fish cooked over a fire! Perfectly broiled fish will work just as well! I trust you boys, too, will learn not to be so picky about how your fish is cooked!"

Although the rants of Saotome-sensei would usually bring a smile to Madoka's lips, today she could feel nothing from the chattering. Rose eyes stared vacantly toward an empty seat, where Sayaka used to always sit, snickering at the teacher's off-topic lectures. She pursed her lips tightly from the memory, bittersweet, before shifting toward the other direction, taking in the condition of her other best friend. Her eyebrow raised with concern at the sallow look in the taller girl's face; Hitomi, who usually looked perfect and unblemished in any way, appeared ages beyond her years, as if a dark shadow had been placed over her. Before Madoka could speak up, however, Kyousuke had raised a hand from his seat. "Excuse me, sensei! Shizuki-san doesn't look so well, may I escort her to the nurse's office?"

Hitomi's head lifted up with a start, and she immediately waved her hands in dismissal. "Oh no, really, it's fine..." She smiled faintly at her boyfriend, her eyes betraying how tired she looked and felt. "It was simply a…restless night." Saotome-sensei's eyes softened in understanding, and she gently set her stick to the side, stepping toward the refined girl's desk. "Shizuki-san, you don't look well. Why don't you allow your sweetheart to escort you to the nurse?" The green-haired girl looked up at her, ready to continue with her protests, but the expression she saw from the teacher left her silent. She knew that Sayaka's death was weighing heavily on her. 'In more ways than you may think…' Emerald eyes narrowed, shaking softly. "…Thank you." She slowly rose from her seat, stepping toward the door. Kyousuke immediately rose after her, stepping by her side, a hand comfortingly on her shoulder as he escorted her out of the classroom.

Madoka watched on, a look of concern on her face. 'Hitomi-chan…she didn't look well. Was it because of how I acted, before…?' She frowned, looking down at her desk, guilt wracking her mind. 'I didn't mean for Hitomi-chan to be so…guilt-ridden over it…'

'Kaname Madoka.'

Rose eyes shifted upward, catching royal blue pools glancing at her in the distance. Homura offered a small smile of reassurance. 'What happened with Shizuki Hitomi isn't anyone's fault. Just as things have been hard on you, I'm sure she's just stressed with what happened to Miki Sayaka.' She turned back toward the front of the class. '…Perhaps more so. She doesn't know that Miki Sayaka is alive, after all…' Of course, if things progressed badly, death would have been a mercy for Miki Sayaka, but she couldn't tell that to the pink-haired girl. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to know the deepest, darkest truth about Magical Girls.

The truth of the matter would shatter any hope they had, after all.

* * *

"Are you okay, Shizuki-san?" Kyousuke watched his girlfriend from the side, his eyes wavering with concern for the girl's health. "Do you…want to talk about it?" Hitomi stared quietly at the ground, her lips softly pursed together as she contemplated what to do, what to say.

It would have been all too easy to end her guilt by calling off the relationship then and there. It was probably what was best for all of them, even. And yet…just the thought of trying to bring it up to the violinist tore the green-haired girl's heart in two. She just couldn't say it. He was there to comfort her, and she him…together, they could see themselves through the hard time of losing Sayaka, and grow ever stronger.

And yet…

"I'm fine…" She mumbled quietly, not meeting his gaze, knowing she would fall apart if she did. She hated to worry the boy, but it wasn't something she could easily talk about. "Madoka-san…she's seemed a little distant as of late…hasn't she? Both she and Sayaka-san…before what happened…" Kyousuke nodded slowly in understanding. "I think I know what you mean. Before, when Sayaka…when she had visited me in the hospital, she said to me that Magic and Miracles do exist…" He shook his head as they proceeded down the corridor. "I still don't know what she meant by that, but that look of determination…I'd never seen anything like it."

"I know what you mean." Hitomi nodded. "The expressions both she and Madoka-san have had…it's as if they're involved in something dangerous, something that we wouldn't be able to understand…" And come to think of it…how had Sayaka even died, in the first place? There were no injuries, and yet, Sayaka was the healthiest girl Hitomi had ever known. Maybe, if she could at least figure out what it was that killed Sayaka in the first place…she'd be a little more at ease. "Kamijou-kun…" She glanced slowly up at him, a newfound determination in her eyes, albeit wavering with fear and uncertainty. Kyousuke caught on to the many elements of her expression, and he stopped short, his expression serious. "What is it, Shizuki-san?" The emerald female took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before looking him in the eyes. "I want to find out what killed Sayaka-san to begin with. Will you join me in my search after school?" Kyousuke's eyes widened, before narrowing with determination. "…If it'll help you feel better, Shizuki-san…I'll help you." He could put his violin-playing to the side. Right now, his girlfriend was in pain. He needed to be there for her, to comfort her, as Sayaka had comforted him in the hospital.

He couldn't take his life or his love for granted anymore.

* * *

A deep, exhausted sigh escaped the azure knight's lips as she collapsed onto the couch, staring up at the white ceiling. Thank goodness Homura had given her a spare key, or else she and that crazy redhead would have had to kill time around the city of Mitakihara before returning home from a full night of hunting for Witches. She glanced down at her four Grief Seeds, all sitting in a row on the table, before looking across from her. The scarlet Magical Girl hadn't even made it to the couch before collapsing, still and unmoving on the ground, her face concealed by long red locks. Sayaka frowned; she forced herself back to her feet before stepping around the table, reaching down to lift the older girl up and onto the opposite couch. As she gripped the girl's arm, she winced at how cool to the touch it felt, and how thin. She hoisted her into her arms, looking her over once before setting her on the couch, making sure she wasn't going to fall off anytime soon. 'To think that as a Magical Girl, your body can get this bad yet still function…she's almost like a skeleton, with how thin and bony she is.' She exhaled deeply through her nose, grabbing Kyouko's hand to take a look at her Soul Gem.

The sight that greeted Sayaka made her want to scream. It was sickly dark, a deep blood red pooling throughout the veteran's gem. She'd been dealing with this the whole time, and didn't say anything!? It was no wonder she collapsed as soon as she got into the living room! With a start, the knight reached for the pile of Grief Seeds on the table, taking one of them and pressing it quickly against the ghastly-looking ring. She quietly watched as the corruption slowly left the gem and seeped into the obsidian object, the egg filling up faster than the girl's source of power was restoring, much to Sayaka's alarm. Immediately after the Grief Seed took in its fill the knight shoved it to the side, setting another one against the redhead's Soul Gem. She grit her teeth. "Why didn't she say anything? Is this why she has to rely so much on Grief Seeds?!" She shook her head. The reason didn't matter. It was still wrong to put Grief Seeds before everything else! But it did put things in perspective, a little.

What was the redhead's life like, in order to send her this far down?

"Nggh…" The redhead stirred, her eyelids scrunched together in pain before they finally peered open, scarlet pools staring faintly up at a blurry haze of blue. Somewhere in the haze, she thought she could hear scolding, but her hearing was too muffled to take in much more than the tone of voice. "Saya…ka…" She muttered, blinking the exhaustion out of her eyes before pushing herself up, using her free hand to rub her eyes. Once she had a little more energy to her, she glanced down to her Soul Gem, where a healthy hand was holding tightly to her. "…Let go." She mumbled, eyes narrowing.

"What happened to your boasting about how important Grief Seeds were to keeping you alive, huh?" Sayaka frowned, releasing hold of the redhead, pulling the filled up Grief Seed to the side. Even after filling up two whole Grief Seeds, the veteran still had a slight cloudiness to her Soul Gem. "You're being a real hypocrite, right now!"

"And would you rather I go back to being wholly reliant on Grief Seeds?" Kyouko's eyes narrowed further, pulling her pale hand against her worn hoodie. "I don't need you telling me what to do; I can take care of myself just fine." Sayaka scoffed, getting to her feet. "SURE you can, what with you forgetting to cleanse yourself and all! We told you to lay off on the addiction, not to abstain from Grief Seeds altogether! Do you want to die!?"

Kyouko recoiled, eyes widening as she thought deeply about what the girl said. 'Do I want to die…?' Her eyes dropped to the white expanse of flooring, vision hazing over once more. 'Die…huh. I've considered that option before…haven't I…' She absently brought the Soul Gem into view, taking in how cloudy it still was. 'I'm practically hanging by a thread…literally, the only thing keeping me going is Grief Seeds, but I can't keep obsessing over them anymore. Yet, the only way to keep myself functioning…is to use as many as I have been…'

 **It couldn't be helped – Grief Seeds were all she had left.**

But then what was the point in living at all?

 **Every living thing does what it can to survive, she was no different.**

But was it worth all the sacrifices?

 **Sacrifices had to be made, if she was going to live.**

But what if she didn't WANT to live, if it came to this!?

Scarlet eyes widened to pinpricks, her breath ragged as she brought a hand to her temple. That was it. She didn't want to live anymore. She was done relying on Grief Seeds; she was done with this Hell. But she…she made a promise to fight Walpurgisnacht. At least, until then…she had to hold out. She chuckled humorlessly, setting her hand back to her side.

"Uh…are you okay?" Sayaka frowned at the girl, a mix of confusion and concern on her soft features. "You're doing that…crazy thing again." Well, at least she wasn't talking to herself again this time, she noted, raising an azure brow. Kyouko shook her head slowly, scarlet eyes full of a range of emotions the azure knight couldn't pick up on. "Sorry…I just thought of something hilarious, is all…" She glanced off to the side, her face fixed into a melancholy frown. "It's just, it's really easy to take lives for granted, isn't it?" Sayaka's frown deepened, her brow raising even higher. "I…guess? Sure, if you're a crazy maniac? Where are you going with this?"

"Nothing." The veteran laid herself back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling, the swinging pendulum in the corner of her vision. "…What was it like to die?" Sayaka stepped back, gritting her teeth, eyes narrowing darkly. "Why would you ask me something like that?! Don't tell me…you plan to try to kill me again!" The redhead released a heavy sigh. "That's…not what I meant. Just, never mind." She looked towards the wall, eyes wavering softly. "It's not important…" Sayaka stared down at her. "Hey, you…are you sure you're alright?" The short, ragged breathing was all that responded to her, and the knight returned back to the couch she'd previously collapsed on, concerned eyes still on the sleeping redhead. "Huh…maybe I should tell Homura about her weird behavior later on."

* * *

The day seemed to last forever for Akemi Homura.

It wasn't necessarily that she disliked school; on the contrary, something about the routine of class every timeline managed to give her a sense of peace. But there were plans to be made, training to be done, Magical Girls to monitor; there was no way she could do that while spending an eternity in the classroom, listening to the same History lectures she already knew by heart.

Still, it was important to maintain some sense of normalcy, if only she was to remain sane. Shizuki Hitomi and Kamijou Kyousuke had returned back to the classroom after some time. To her credit, Hitomi had a lot of strength of heart. She seemed a little better now than she did earlier, where she almost seemed under the curse of a Witch's Kiss. A quick glance at the green-haired girl's neck earlier dispelled any further suspicions of that possibility, leading her instead to believe that the girl was simply still grieving over Miki Sayaka's "death".

Madoka looked a little less stressed over her friend's condition now, as well, giving Homura a sense of relief. Especially with how much burden the pink-haired girl had to bear throughout the timeline, she constantly feared the worst with her. Surprisingly, however, Madoka wasn't succumbing to despair nearly as quickly as she normally would when she contracted in any other time.

Why was that, Homura wondered?

Dismissing the thought as one shred of good luck in the otherwise hopeless timeline, she was already packing up her bags and preparing to go by the time the last bell of the day chimed off, signaling for everyone to go home. Madoka stepped carefully around the other students, stopping in front of her desk, her hands behind her back in a shy, demure fashion. "Um, Homura-chan…can I come over again today?" She spoke lowly, so as not to receive so much attention. Homura held a firm grip on her school-bag, glancing at the pink-haired girl with cool eyes. "If you really want to so badly, I'm not going to stop you." She turned on her heel, raven locks brushing lightly against her school uniform as she made to leave the classroom, the hurried footsteps close behind indicating the rosy girl was following after.

Royal-blue pools spotted Hitomi and Kyousuke as they stepped out on their own, their faces serious and determined. She raised a raven brow at them. Now what were they up to, all of a sudden? Did it have anything to do with Shizuki Hitomi's change of heart? She looked away, eyes focused on the corridors ahead of her. In any case, they weren't her problem.

Right now, she needed to focus on maintaining trust between Miki Sayaka and Sakura Kyouko.

With Madoka close behind, the raven-haired girl made her way down the street, towards the direction of home. Even now, when it was a good three weeks before the coming of Walpurgisnacht, she could sense the heavy tension in the air. The buildup of despair was unmistakable, after countless timelines. Even if the others didn't already believe her, she was certain that the foreboding atmosphere would most certainly clue them in to the danger coming to the city.

She stopped short, digging into her school pocket for the keys to her house. To her side, Madoka fidgeted nervously, clearly still uncomfortable with the idea of facing the redhead again, but at the same time looking forward to seeing how her childhood friend was doing. Homura finally pulled the keys out, putting it through the keyhole and turning it, a click sounding off, indicating her presence. She pulled out the key, turning the knob and stepping into the foyer, the pink-haired girl following suit.

As she removed her school loafers, Madoka doing the same, she noted that the foyer was empty of a certain duo's shoes. This either meant one of two things: They were still out Witch hunting – at which point, she would either be amazed or concerned, or they forgot to remove them, and were still wearing their shoes around the house; that was the most likely outcome. She stepped out of the foyer, making her way across the hardwood floor before entering into the main space, the white expanse greeting her as she stepped through. She scanned the area, taking note of the sleeping knight on one couch, and the curled up veteran on the other. To the side of the couches, both their shoes lay in place. 'I figured that was the case.' Homura noted with a shrug, stepping into the room, looking down at the blue-haired girl. Azure eyes greeted her, shielded by an arm on her forehead. "Welcome back, Homura." She slurred, clearly still tired from their running around all night. "Is Madoka here?"

"Yes, Madoka's here." Homura confirmed, turning from the knight and stepping toward the redhead. "How was your hunt?" Sayaka frowned as she pushed herself upright, swinging her legs out in front. "It went alright…all things considered." Her eyes narrowed. "She tried to let a Familiar escape at first! I called her out on it, and made her fight it with me. After that, we only ran into other Witches, which she had no problem taking out without me yelling at her." She stopped short for a bit, her frown deepening with concern. "Well, actually…" Royal-blue eyes shifted towards the knight. "What is it? Were there other problems, after all?" Sayaka bit her lip, running her hand along the unused Grief Seed by her side. "Well…"

"She didn't cleanse herself at all."

Homura's eyes widened and she whipped her head to face the taller girl, a look of alarm in her eyes. "She's…not using Grief Seeds on her own?!" She was afraid her turning away from using Grief Seeds so much would result in such an outcome, but to hear of it actually happening…! Sayaka nodded, looking at the sleeping girl across from her. "Yeah…I didn't even think that was the case, until we got here and she just collapsed. She never showed any sign of too much magic depletion in her fighting, so I never suspected it until I got a good look at her while she was unconscious…" She swallowed a lump in her throat. "It's like she's trying to hide all weakness, but is also trying to find a place on her own to die…"

"That's exactly what this is." Homura replied, her tone a little harsher than she intended. "Has she said anything…strange; anything to set off any warning sirens?" Sayaka frowned with confusion. "Warning sirens? Like what?" Pale hands grabbed hold of the blue-haired girl's shoulders, startling her. "Waaugh! H-Hey, what's wrong with you?!" Homura grit her teeth in frustration. "Think back! What did she say!? Anything odd!?" Sayaka pulled back, nursing her shoulder. "Okay, okay! She…well, she asked me what it was like when I died." She frowned at the memory. "Honestly, I could only take offense to that question, since she was the one who killed me in the first place." Homura stepped back, eyes wide. "She…oh, no…she's contemplating the idea of death." She turned her head sharply towards the redhead, eyes shaking in fear. "She's looking to die…!" Sayaka blinked in disbelief. "H-Hey, I don't think she's going to go that far! Besides, she's been doing what she can to survive, remember?" She stepped forward. "Why would she be so eager to die?"

"I don't know…I don't know what's spurred this on, all of a sudden…" Or was this happening all along? It was so hard to predict the actions or thoughts of this timeline's Kyouko. Was she just becoming so disgusted, so disillusioned with herself that she'd rather die than live on, and help them out in the fight? She hesitantly brought a hand to the redhead's shoulder, shaking her gently, hoping that she would wake and explain that it was simply a misunderstanding. What if, all along, Sakura Kyouko in general wasn't against the idea of death? She had always readily accepted giving up her life to defeat the Mermaid Witch, after all…she shook her head, shaking the girl a little more until she was roused from her sleep, bleary scarlet eyes looking tiredly around. "Wha, huh…H-Homura?" She blinked in surprise, pushing herself into an upright sitting position, her head heavy and pounding as she straightened herself out. "What's…what's up?" She carefully nudged the slightly taller girl's hand off of her before looking up at her face, a look of tired confusion on her soft yet strained features.

"Kyouko, tell me…do you really plan to help us with the fight against Walpurgisnacht?" Royal-blue eyes narrowed, wavering with worry. In the distance, Madoka approached the azure knight, looking between her and the raven-haired girl in confusion. Sayaka shrugged in response, shaking her head. Kyouko quirked an eyebrow, straightening up a little as she attempted to decipher what brought on the time traveler's doubt. "…I said that I would, didn't I? Why else would I be working with Justice Freak Sayaka over there all night?"

"Hey!" Sayaka glared indignantly at her, arms crossed.

"Then tell me…what do you plan to do once Walpurgisnacht is defeated?" Homura's eyes were pleading, but for what they were pleading wasn't clear to the tired redhead. Kyouko sighed, shaking her head slowly. "Sorry, you've lost me…what's got you so worried…? If you think I'm going to abandon you against Walpurgisnacht, rest assured you won't have to worry about that. I'll be there." She glanced away, expression unreadable. "…As for after…well, the alliance only lasts until after Walpurgisnacht…at that point, we'll just go our separate ways, and see where things go from there." She looked up at Madoka and Sayaka, a grim expression on her face. "Likely, what'll happen is that we'll continue our territory war. What happens after that is anyone's guess."

"Do you plan to die?"

The unexpected words from the time traveler left Kyouko stunned into silence, her expression downcast. She wasn't wrong, after all. How could she deny it? After a few moments of nothing said between them, the redhead finally released a soft sigh. "…What'll happen after Walpurgisnacht will happen, whatever that is. Until then, you have my word that I will be there during the fight against Walpurgisnacht." She quietly slipped off the couch, making her way into the kitchen to attempt another bite to eat. Well, in truth she just wanted to escape the gaze of all the other Magical Girls.

Why was it so shocking? Wouldn't it have been better for all of them if she just died?

 **If they really cared so much, they shouldn't have been throwing a fit every time she placed priority on survival over anything else.**

Madoka watched as scarlet locks disappeared around the corner before looking back at the raven-haired girl, her face a mix of emotions. On the one hand, she still hated the redhead, and still planned to send her packing or else after their alliance was over. But on the other hand…nobody should embrace death so readily; even someone who readily sent others to their deaths! "And…uh…what are we going to do?" Madoka glanced uncertainly to the side. The cold glare from Homura didn't help matters; with a small yelp of surprise the pink-haired girl shied away.

"It's going to take a miracle to get her to change her mind…" Homura muttered tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. Normally it was Miki Sayaka who was close to giving up on life, and Sakura Kyouko would be the one to-

That's right.

The reason why Sakura Kyouko was so quick to be by Miki Sayaka's side was because she knew how it felt to hang by the edge. This was just an example of how Kyouko would be if it was a little bit more extreme…and if she didn't have Miki Sayaka's issues to distract her from her own. She sighed deeply, sitting down on the couch, wracking her brain for any ideas. "I need you guys to help her." She glanced up at the pink and blue duo. As expected, both of them stepped back reluctantly, looking not at all eager to help the crazy Magical Girl. "Well, if she's brought herself this far…" Madoka mumbled softly, eyes flitting between the kitchen entryway and the raven-haired girl in front of her. She wanted to spend more time with Sayaka, but at the same time she felt it better to be anywhere but where she was. In any case, the redhead never showed them mercy…why should she?

"W-We can't really help it if she's not going to try to pull herself back up," Sayaka retorted, expression downcast as she pursed her lips. "I-I mean, if she's going to let go…there's not really much that we can do…" Homura sighed, a look of disappointment in her eyes. "…Would you say the same thing if one of the citizens tried to commit suicide, without the aid of a Witch's Kiss?" Both pink and blue looked up at the remark, determination on their faces. "Of course not!"Sayaka replied without skipping a beat. "If a citizen was trying to kill themselves, of course we'd stop them!" Madoka added, shaking her head. "I wouldn't even give it another thought!"

"Even if that person had done something awful?" Homura's eyes narrowed. Madoka recoiled back, growing silent. "Well…a-a life is still a life…" She mumbled, fully aware of where the raven-haired girl was going with this. Sayaka shook her head. "That's different, though! These guys…w-well…" Her resolve crumbled as Homura's words sank in, her eyes darting left and right. "They…n-nobody…" Homura sighed. "If nobody deserves to die, then why would you leave Sakura Kyouko to die? She's as much human as the rest of any of us. Is it because you have a personal vendetta against her?" The two girls shuffled in place, silence their only method of response. "In that case, you're all just being subjective with your 'savior' ploys. You can't just pick and choose, or else you can't call yourselves true heroes."

Sayaka frowned, looking away. "…I can't promise anything…but I'll keep an eye out to make sure she doesn't kill herself." Madoka nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "I…um, I guess I better be going, then. You guys are going out Witch-hunting again, right?" She stepped back, a forced smile on her face. Clearly, she was shaken up by what Homura was talking about. "I'll stop by again tomorrow, okay Sayaka-chan?" She nodded hastily before stepping out of the room, making her way into the foyer and proceeding out of the house. Sayaka watched her go before looking back at Homura. "…Look, I don't know what you expect me to do for that demon…I'm still mad at her for trying to let that Familiar go!" A pale hand swiped at the blue-haired girl's head, knocking her a bit to the side, blinking in shock from the impact. "Wha…huh?"

"You're doing it again." Homura glared darkly. "Your stubbornness is going to ruin everything, at this rate." She glanced toward the kitchen. "Now I want you to go in there, talk to Sakura Kyouko, and let her know that her attempts to improve matter. Yes, she ALMOST let it get away. But she helped you take care of it, didn't she? She's clearly struggling with herself – the LAST thing she needs is you shutting her down with every little mistake." Sayaka frowned, thinking on what she said, before grudgingly making her way towards the kitchen, gritting her teeth all the while. 'That demon's in hot water as it is, without the whole Familiar thing! Why do I have to make her feel better?!' She turned the corner, stopping in front of the entryway, glancing around for any sign of the redhead. She spotted her in the corner, knees brought up to her chest as she leaned against the wall, rocking back and forth just slightly, an uneaten apple by her side. Sayaka frowned at the sight of her; she looked so pitiful, it was pathetic. Yet, she was certain the girl had absolutely no one but herself to blame for all her trouble. Nonetheless, she stepped toward the girl, getting down to her knees.

She had to 'make nice', after all.

"Hey." Sayaka called out to her. The redhead remained in her pathetic trance, rocking steadily back and forth, her head buried in her legs as she shut out the world around her. Sayaka sighed, reaching a hand up and bopping her on the head to get her attention. "Hey, space-case!" The redhead glanced up with a start, raising her head to face the knight, using a hand to touch the part of her head that'd been hit. "You…what was that for…?" She attempted to snarl at the girl, but it came out as nothing more than a low murmur. The blue-haired girl grabbed hold of her arms. "Hey, get up off the floor. You look pathetic down here." As she hoisted the girl up to her feet, she added, "Don't we need to do some more Witch hunting together? As some form of bonding?" Kyouko frowned, glancing at the taller girl in confusion. "Since when did you care? You don't even want to work with me, remember? I'm not trustworthy."

"Well no, you're not." Sayaka admitted, reaching down to pick up the uneaten apple. There were tiny marks in the skin; looks like she was attempting to eat it, after all. "But the whole point of this exercise is to build trust between us, and I haven't really given you much of a chance to do that. Aside from you letting that Familiar go at first, you have had my back…and you did help me out with that Familiar, when it came down to it. You also admitted to your mistake." She tossed the apple at the redhead, who quickly caught it with tiny hands. "Strike one. Let's keep this going for a little while, okay?" Kyouko looked up at her, eyebrow raised with confusion. "I don't…did Homura put you up to this?" The blue-haired girl shrugged. "Well, yeah. But I'll run with it, and see if I can't get myself to stop hating your guts. Sound good?"

Kyouko blinked in surprise; a small chuckle escaped her lips, genuine rather than the humorless dry ones she'd released recently. "You're unbelievable, you know that…" She looked over the apple in her hand, a melancholy expression on her face. "Actually, if you don't mind taking a detour…I was going to stop by someplace for a bit. You okay with tagging along?" Sayaka tilted her head to the side. "Huh, uh, sure…I don't exactly have a schedule or anything…I'll need to get a change of clothes, though; the Mitakihara school uniform would be too conspicuous." Kyouko shook her head. "You don't have to worry about that…"

"Our destination isn't in Mitakihara."

* * *

"Nothing here, either…" Shizuki Hitomi released a sad sigh before getting back to her feet, glancing her lover's way, the last rays of sun reflecting off the boy as they continued their search in the alleyway. It was ominously quiet, and they both knew it was possible a gang of thugs could appear at any time. But they were looking for something, anything, to point to Sayaka's death, with no luck. "It's hard to believe that there wouldn't even be a shred of evidence in the area she was found…" Kyousuke set a garbage can lid where he'd found it, stepping over to his girlfriend. "It is strange, that's for sure…" He sighed, placing his thumb and forefinger under his chin in a thoughtful manner. "I can't help but think about the incidents of the missing people…I know she didn't go missing, but it's just as mysterious, don't you think…?" Hitomi nodded in agreement. "…Well, if we're going to look into people going missing…there was a recent case of people taking the train that never got off…"

Kyousuke shivered at the thought, gritting his teeth with a look of horror in his eyes. "You're kidding…!" He shook his head. "Well, wherever there's something strange happening, there's bound to be some kind of evidence leading to what happened to Sayaka." His eyes steeled, more determined. "Then, Shizuki-san..."

"Let's get going to the train station…"

* * *

 **A/N: And we have another chapter out!**

 **Dun duuun, Kyouko wants to give up on herself! Well, can you blame her? Nobody cares about her, she can't survive on anything BUT Grief Seeds, but she's tired of having to kill people anymore. Maybe if Sayaka can get to know her a little more, she can help raise her back up?**

 **But more importantly, we have Hitomi and Kyousuke looking into matters. Does this spell disaster? I think it does. We'll just have to see if their luck holds out.**

 **And Madoka...well, Madoka's torn. She wants to believe in people, but she already hates Kyouko for what she did. After all, even Madoka can hold a grudge, especially if she's been having to deal with that person for a while, and lost her best friend to her.**

 **And Homura...are you sure this timeline is still worth saving?**

 **We'll just have to see where we go from here. As always, comments and criticism are appreciated and loved. Whatever comments or predictions you guys have, I would love to hear them!**

 **In the meantime, see you next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10: Reveal

Birds crossed over the fiery skies, causing Miki Sayaka to shield her face, taking a glance up at them as they flew overhead, their silhouettes adding a sort of melancholy feel to their walk. She looked ahead of her, the fiery ponytail of her partner brushing against tattered jean shorts, the slight crunch from worn boots breaking the silence. Surrounding them at all sides were trees, each a different shade in the light of the last rays of sun. They continued their walk in silence, neither one speaking to the other, until Sayaka finally gathered up the nerve to talk. "So…where are we going, anyway?" She glanced around the area, taking in how rural it looked. "This feels pretty far off…"

Some deep part of her mind feared she was being led somewhere dark and quiet, where no one would be able to hear her screams in the event she was killed again – this time properly. 'No, stop it!' She scolded herself. 'You told Homura you'd try to make nice!' And yet, it did feel like a dangerous situation…

"Kasamino."

Sayaka blinked in surprise, stopping short. "What?" Scarlet eyes peered back at her. "We're going to Kasamino; or rather, the border between Kasamino and Mitakihara." She looked back ahead, continuing her walk. Sayaka frowned, following along after. "And…why are we going there of all places?" Kyouko sighed, proceeding down the trail, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I have something to show you there. You're the one who agreed to coming along, weren't you?"

"Ergh…" Sayaka cringed, her steps quickening a bit with the tension. "Well, what are we looking for? Just to give me an idea of what to keep an eye out for. Is it a Witch? Did you sense a Witch?" The redhead gave a wry smile, her head low as she stared at the trail they walked down. "You'll see. For now, just enjoy the nature walk."

And what a walk it was. Once the azure knight had actually taken the time to absorb her surroundings, she could hear all sorts of chirps, twitters, croaks. The iridescent sunset brought an array of beauty all around, the whole world around her splashed with hues of red, orange, gold; she breathed out in awe, glancing back at the redhead in front of her; her red locks were even more fiery, even more full of life than normal. While it wasn't the first time Sayaka had seen the world during a sunset, it was the first time she'd actually taken the time to truly appreciate it…

'Come to think of it…I don't think I ever started appreciating life as much as I do now…' She grit her teeth. 'I'd hate to admit it, but losing my life once may have opened my eyes to how precious living can truly be…what it truly means to be alive…' She sighed, releasing the tension in her jaws, eyes softening. "Hey…who are you, exactly? You're cruel and heartless one moment, caring and lonely the next. You flip flop all over the place…what's got you like that?" Kyouko shook her head. "All in good time." She responded quietly. The taller girl fell silent, choosing instead to take in her surroundings again, the crunching of the gravel their only companion as they made their way down.

* * *

"It was the train station leaving from Mitakihara central, right?" Heather gray pools stared back at his girlfriend, stopping short at the front of the steps, a magnifying glass in hand. The dainty girl before him stepped lightly up the last flight, her heels gently clacking against the tiled floors of the station. "Well, yes…that's what it said in the news, at any rate."

In her hand, she held a rolled up newspaper of the missing people incident, bits of the headlines highlighted here or there where the green-haired lady had done her research. "It's not just in Mitakihara that people have gone missing, either…just a year ago, there was a missing girl from a domestic fire incident, too..." She shook her head. "But we can't get caught up with past details. Have you found anything?" She ran a hand nervously through one of her emerald curls, wrapping it gingerly around her finger before pulling her hand away. Kyousuke shook his head. "Nothing yet; but we've barely scratched the surface of this area." He held the magnifying glass up to his face. "We should start looking around the waiting areas. That's where the people were last seen, after all."

Hitomi nodded, pulling out a magnifying glass of her own. "Good idea. There must be something around here that's causing people to go missing…" She held the glass up to her face, stepping carefully around the tiled area as she took in the magnified surroundings. Aside from litter and grime, there wasn't really anything out of the ordinary that the two middle-schoolers were coming up with…but they couldn't lose hope! Somewhere around there had to be a clue to what happened to the missing people; and maybe, if they could find clues on those…

They could find out what had happened to Sayaka, as well.

* * *

"This is it." Scarlet eyes peered upward at the building looming over them. The stone walls gave it a lonely feeling, as if it was a fortress that had been tasked with hiding the darkest secrets. Even from outside, the light reflected off the stain glass, glowing beautifully in the red sun as it tried its best to combat the desolation within. Beside her, Sayaka stared in confusion, glancing between Kyouko and the decrepit building, which appeared to be crumbling from the top to the base. What had she been brought all the way to see ruins for? Nonetheless, she stood in place as she waited for the redhead to-

KER-THUNK!

Kick…the door down.

"Hey!" The blue-haired girl scolded, eyebrow twitching. "I didn't come all this way to watch you be a vandal!" She glared at the door, which had been ripped off its hinges by the redhead's strength. She stopped short, thinking back. 'Wait…she's barely getting by…and those doors looked heavy.'

"Relax, this place is falling apart anyway." Kyouko drawled with a roll of the eyes, stepping through the entryway, juggling the apple between her hands as she carefully stepped around broken debris; trashed pews, splintered pieces of wood, all manners of litter. In retrospect, she could've cleaned up a little before inviting Sayaka over, but it wasn't like it really mattered. Sayaka followed after, quickly stepping out of the way of the obstacles, careful not to stab her foot with any of those nails sticking out. "Yeesh, this place is a mess!" She jumped over the last obstacle, making her way over to the stairs, where Kyouko was already standing in front of what looked like a stand of some sort. "So…are we in an old church? Why did you bring me here?" Kyouko turned to face her, a melancholy expression on her face. "This was my home." She calmly stated, a sad undertone to her voice before she turned away. Sayaka blinked in surprise. "Wait…you're a church girl?! I never would've guessed!" She looked around the area, one more time, taking in the surroundings.

Even with the holes in the roof and windows, it was still a gorgeous sight. The sunset poured in through the windows, reflecting off the stained glass and bringing a whole world of color to the otherwise desolate ruins. She spotted something faded and dark, a stain of some sort deep in the flooring, and all around there was evidence of a fire. The overturned chairs were burnt, the walls were burnt, everywhere around the halls was burnt. Yet…it still maintained some sense of beauty. "…What happened here?" The blue-haired girl asked softly. The redhead turned to face her again, a whole range of emotions the blue-haired girl hadn't seen from her before. She seemed…broken. Even back in the kitchen, when she was hiding from the world, her eyes were more glazed over; but now it was clear to see how lost and vulnerable the crazy veteran really was. "Kyouko…what happened to make things this way?" The redhead smiled sadly, eyes downcast, the appearance of a lost child.

"I made a wish."

* * *

"Still nothing…" The couple, both tired and stressed out from their fruitless search, sat down in the waiting area, a sigh escaping their lips in unison. Hitomi stared at nothing in the distance, her eyes glassy as she thought out the best course of action to take. Sayaka was no more avenged now than she had been at the beginning of their search…and Hitomi was still to blame for the taking the man she knew her childhood friend loved. Again, she could feel that dark shadow looming over her, cold and unforgiving.

Kyousuke took in the lost look in his girlfriend's eyes, and he reached a hand around her shoulder. "Hey…we're going to find it. We just need to be a little patient, okay?" Hitomi shook her head slowly, before leaning it against his shoulder, causing the heather gray-haired boy to flush pink. "S-Shizuki-san?" Hitomi sighed deeply, eyes wavering. "Sorry…could I just…stay like this for a little bit?" Kyousuke stared in surprise for a moment before releasing a sigh, a gentle smile forming on his face. "…Take your time."

She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep holding onto Kyousuke like this when Sayaka had suffered so terribly. She had to let him go, tell him she didn't deserve him…but the selfish part of herself insisted that she needed to be by his side, that she couldn't live without him.

… _ **If it hurts to live with him, but you can't live without him…**_

What could she do? Whether with or without him, she was in pain; she felt lonely.

… _ **Maybe it'd be better if you just gave up all of this?**_

Give up? On living life to the fullest? On following her heart?

 _ **Yes…it would be better if you just gave up…!**_

It hurt…maybe she should give up…

But the strong, determined azure eyes of her late friend and the gentle heather gray eyes of her lover snapped her out of her senses. Emerald eyes wide, she slapped her cheeks to rid herself of such terrible thoughts. What was wrong with her?! Why would she think something like that!? After all they had been through…after she promised together with Kyousuke she would never take her life or her love for granted again…!

"SHIZUKI-SAN!"

Hitomi looked up with a start, fear in her eyes as she worked to decipher the alarm in her lover's voice. Once she did, she found that the train station they were sitting in seemed…a little bit strange, somehow. The tiled floors were a little wobbly, as if she'd been sent on some strange trip, but she knew she hadn't taken anything that would merit such a reaction. And from how Kyousuke was acting…

It was something they were both seeing.

* * *

"Your…wish?" Sayaka's eyes shook softly, taking a step forward. "What do you mean? Who are you, Kyouko?" The redhead closed her eyes softly. "You probably wouldn't believe it…but I was once like you guys, a long time ago." She looked up at the taller girl's face. "I actually believed in saving others, and in fighting for the sake of justice." She chuckled softly at the girl's shocked expression. "I know; crazy, right? Me of all people, actually caring about others..." She walked past her, swiveling the apple around in her hand. "But it's true."

"It all started with my Father. He was the preacher of this church. Me, my little sister and my Mother all supported him wholeheartedly for what he did. It was a modest little church, with not too much in it. We may not have had many followers…but we were happy with what we had, all the same."

"Then one day, Father realized the current teachings weren't going to make the world a better place. Nobody was truly affected by it; it just went in one ear and out the other. So instead of preaching the same doctrines over and over, as he had been, he started to change things up a little." Her eyes lit up, just a little, like the eyes of an innocent who had seen the true beauty of the world. "Rather than preach about what we couldn't do, he started to preach about what we COULD do. We could support one another, lean on each other for support…help our neighbors, ensure everyone's happiness…those sorts of things. Rather than TELL about our love for the doctrines, we would SHOW our love for the doctrines by applying it in everyday life. He spoke of everyday moments, experiences where the core values of our religion could be found."

Sayaka blinked in confusion. "But, that sounds just fine! Why would that cause any problems?" Kyouko's smile faded into a frown, her expression hardening. "…Because it wasn't the norm. As soon as he started preaching about things that weren't strictly about the doctrines themselves, he was labeled a heretic. People stopped giving him support, accused him of forming a cult, and turned their backs to us." Her fists clenched tightly. "Since we were receiving everything from the congregation, once everyone turned away, the money from donations that was helping us to get by stopped coming, as well. With no support and no income, and four family members to feed…it started to get pretty bad. Soup was watered down to almost nothing, there was little to no nutrition…and with the added humiliation, any chances we had of selling our belongings were pretty bad; we only got half of what they were worth, if that; and the money went fast."

"Eventually I started turning to stealing to try to help us get by…I didn't tell anyone, of course…they thought someone was being generous…" Her eyes shook with anger. "My Father still had hope for that cruel city, even as they scorned us and spat in our faces…" She took a glance at the apple, recalling the taste of ash and bile in her mouth when she so much as attempted to tear through it. One of her methods of coping was wrenched from her, by her twisted self. "…We kept thinking: Maybe people would come around? Maybe if we just kept up hope, eventually people would come to understand, and really listen to what he was saying…!" Azure eyes stared pityingly at her.

"But after 6 years…I knew it wasn't going to happen."

"Wha-6 years?! You guys went on like that for THAT long!?" Sayaka cried out in disbelief. Ignoring her exclamation, the redhead continued. "We were weak, we were starving…I didn't even have the strength to steal a single apple. Yet, when Kyuubey approached me…all I could think was, 'if only they would listen.' …And so that's just what I wished for. I wished that everyone would listen to what Father had to say." Azure eyes widened to pinpricks at the implication of such a wish. "Then…y-you…"

"That's right. Without realizing it, I had unwittingly enchanted my Father's words so that, no matter what he said, people would listen to him, and follow his ways." She chuckled humorlessly. "Of course, I didn't know any better, and I began to continue on with the intent to save everyone, as Father had intended with his teachings. Along the way I met another Magical Girl, Tomoe Mami. She'd saved my life in a battle against a Witch who shared my enchantment magic. We became quick partners, and she began to show me how to become a better, stronger Magical Girl. With Mami-san's guidance…and with my Father's words…" She smiled sadly. "It truly felt like we were saving the world at all fronts. In that moment, I decided that I would do whatever it took to protect everyone's happiness."

"So, what changed it?" Sayaka asked quietly, although she had a feeling she already knew the answer. Kyouko's eyes glazed over, her expression going dead. "…Father found out. There was a Witch that attacked the church. I didn't realize he was still awake until he called to me. Naturally, I couldn't lie to him about what I was…and honestly, at that time I didn't think it was anything to be ashamed of. But when I told him about my wish…he changed. He grew more violent, accused me of being a Witch that poisoned the hearts and minds of others…and he began to lock himself away."

She choked back something; it wasn't quite a sob, but it hitched in the back of her throat like sobbing would. "He…started resorting to alcohol…to drown his sorrows." The redhead turned away, bringing the apple to her mouth, unable to get herself to expose her canines to the fruit. "As you can probably guess, that was a mistake. Under the influence of alcohol, he grew even more violent, threatening even the others in the house, striking out at my Mother and little sister." She bit her lip, feeling the taste of iron, the only thing she seemed to be able to stomach these days. "I left the house; I couldn't take it there, couldn't take the guilt. But I couldn't focus on teaming up with Mami-san, either. So I began to strike out on my own. It may have started when Kyuubey pointed out that my Soul Gem was in need of cleansing, but I began to use the Witch hunts as a coping mechanism. Every day, instead of facing my Father's wrath, I escaped. That…was a mistake on my part."

"One day, I came back home. Nobody greeted me. There wasn't even the sound of screaming or crying anymore; no yelling. When I came in, all that greeted me was a pile of blood. Submerged in this was…the remains of my Mother and sister." Sayaka paled; her family had been slaughtered?! "A-And…did you find out who did it?" A dark chuckle responded back. "Who else? The man hanging overhead, who felt sooo bad for what he'd done that he hung himself…AFTER tearing his innocent wife and youngest daughter to shreds. I couldn't take it. I saw red. Before I knew it, the building was on fire, and my spear was digging into a Witch. It was a pretty tricky Witch, too. Made my life flash before my eyes, if you know what I mean." Sayaka stood in place, at a loss of what to do.

"After that moment I realized that, if I'd just made a wish for myself, my family wouldn't have had to get caught up in the mess. Because I selfishly believed I was doing the right thing by trying to make Father happy again, I brought us further down than we originally were. It was just me left…" The taller girl swallowed a lump in her throat. "B-But…you still had Tomoe Mami…right?" Scarlet eyes darkened. "I did…"

"Until I killed her."

* * *

Heavy breathing permeated the silence of the strange artificial sunset background, the yellow outlines giving the middle schoolers a sense of discomfort.

No, it wasn't that.

It was the outlined zombie-like caricatures following along after them. The whole area had both Hitomi and Kyousuke on edge; for one thing, how had things ended up this way?! One moment, they had been seated in the train station…the next…

What WERE these creatures?!

"Shizuki-san, hold on tight to me!" Kyousuke cried out, his eyes narrowed valiantly as Hitomi reached for his outstretched hand. He pulled her close, immediately bringing her to his side where he could keep an eye on her. He may not have known what these creatures were…but he knew that he needed to protect his lover, at any cost. "Stay back!" He yelled at the zombie drawings, stepping back a bit, holding the magnifying glass threateningly at them. "I-I'm warning you!" Hitomi's eyes shook with fear, noting how close they were getting to them. "K-Kamijou-kun, we should run! We don't know what these creatures can do!" Kyousuke grit his teeth, holding her hand tightly in his before pulling her along, breaking out into a run away from the creatures. Thank goodness they lumbered around so slowly, or else he wasn't sure if running would make a difference! He huffed and puffed, his breath growing ragged, but he couldn't slow. Once he did, it could mean the death of them.

"Whatever these things are…somebody…HELP!"

* * *

"You…KILLED her?!" Sayaka stepped back in disgust. "But, why!? Why would you do such a thing!?" Kyouko grit her teeth. "Look, I know I messed up! I disgusted myself, too! Even now, I still don't know why I went to such lengths. But I can't change what happened. All I can do is try to change myself now!"

"No." Sayaka stepped back, eyes shaking with a mix of horror and rage. "NO! How can I EVER trust somebody who would kill someone so close to her?! Who would…drive her own family to their death?! You're dangerous – TOO dangerous!" She whipped around, rushing toward the door. "Someone like you could NEVER help us protect the people of Mitakihara!"

"Sayaka, wait!" The redhead ran after, her eyes shaking. "I can change! I promise I can! Please, don't run away!" The knight shook her head, eyes wide with disbelief, continuing her pace down the gravel path they'd gone down. She had to escape the redhead – she was too unstable, too dangerous. Even when she was like them, she was dangerous!

No…

She could never be like them; someone who tricked the hearts and minds of others could NEVER be a savior of justice!

"Sayaka!" The high-pitched pleading of the redhead could still be heard in the distance. Sayaka grit her teeth, pushing her legs a little further, adding a little magic to them to give her a bit of an extra boost. Soon, the cries of the redhead were no longer in earshot. She continued running, making her way past the central area of Mitakihara, thankful that the sun had gone down and it was hard to see her clearly. What was she thinking, following along with the redheaded demon, thinking she had even a shred of goodness in her?!

The familiar pulsing light in her Soul Gem stopped the knight in her tracks, and she glanced down to examine the source. It was pulsating pretty strongly…a Witch? Nearby? She whipped her head back and forth, a look of determination in her eyes, before turning toward the direction of the train station. It seemed pretty strong…but it didn't QUITE feel like a Witch, she realized as she got closer, taking a look at the entrance engraved in the wall of the station's exterior. She ran her hand along it, pursing her lips, eyes closed.

There were signs of other life inside the barrier. If she went in, if she tried to save them…there was a possibility that someone from Mitakihara would recognize her. Her death was all over the news, after all.

If someone were to see her, knowing that Miki Sayaka was supposed to be dead…

"It doesn't matter." She concluded, eyes snapping open, a fire of righteous fury within. "I won't stand by and let innocent people be harmed…" She forced the barrier open, stepping through.

"No matter WHAT the cost!"

* * *

The lovers stayed huddled together, against the scribbled walls. To their dismay, they had finally reached a dead end. Even running for their lives, they could only go so far…the scribbled zombies drew ever nearer, their badly outlined jaws opening and closing like a fish. Their hands were massive for the zombies' size, as if they could crush the middle schoolers in one go. In the center of the zombies was one larger zombie, its overall presence dwarfing the ominous auras of its followers.

Kyousuke stepped back just a bit more, his foot meeting with wall, his eyes wide and shaking. So this was how he was going to go? Would it have been better if he died in the accident that took his hand in the first place, instead? But if he had, he never would have met Shizuki Hitomi, and they never would have gotten close. By his side, the green-haired girl shook with fright, leaning into him as if this would be their last embrace. "S-Shizuki-san…" Kyousuke whispered sadly, holding her against him. "H…Hitomi…"

Hitomi jerked her head up, her face stained with tears, but her eyes wide with surprise. "That's…the first time you've called me by my first name…Ka…Kyousuke…" Her eyes watered once more, her grip on him tightening. They knew this was the end. Soon the strange creatures would be upon them. Soon they would be wiped from existence.

Nobody would know what happened to them.

Kyousuke clenched his eyes tightly, a sob caught in the back of his throat as they awaited the inevitable demise from the strange yet deadly creatures. But it never came. While there was the sickening sound of blade cutting into flesh, it was not directed towards them. Heather grey eyes peered carefully open, his tremors of fear still obvious as he chanced seeing what was going on. The outlined zombies had been pushed back, their strange cries drowned out by the battle cry from the blue-haired knight intercepting them. The shade of blue was a familiar sight; almost a cerulean color, like the ocean. The young man stared with confusion on his face, watching as the knight, mostly obscured by the white flowing cape, took out the outlined creatures without any sign of struggle. What was this person? Were they some savior? Or were they just as dangerous, if not more so, than the zombies? Judging by the cries they gave out, it sounded like a girl.

In fact, he could've sworn he recognized that voice from somewhere…

"HYAAAA!" The knight roared out, diving into the bigger creature with blade outstretched; the moment it hit the creature, the blade drove itself into the monster's flesh, an ink-like substance spilling from its wounds. It let out an ear-piercing screech, its body contorting until it exploded into a dark misty substance, leaving the knight alone with the two middle-schoolers. The background shifted and distorted, slowly reverting from the sketched sunset landscape back to the dark, abandoned train station they had originally started in. The knight let out a sigh of relief, swinging her sword out as it disappeared in a blue light. She stretched out her arms for a job well done, turned on her heel to head down the stairs, and stopped short.

Staring straight ahead at her, with wide eyes of horror, were Shizuki Hitomi and Kamijou Kyousuke; two people Sayaka not only didn't expect to see again, but certainly didn't think she would see together in an abandoned train station. Azure eyes widened with realization. She'd been discovered; they could clearly see the face and form of their recently deceased childhood friend. She stepped back a bit, eyes darting, running her tongue along her teeth as if trying to piece together what to say. What could she say? She was known to be dead. She was supposed to be dead! She…was dead…! "I…" She uttered a word, voice trailing out as she re-evaluated what to do. "This is…I can…explain…"

"Sayaka…?" Heather eyes were wide with disbelief, and a little bit of fear. She'd just taken out those monsters like it was no problem…! While Kyousuke had always known the azure female to be rather knight-like, he knew better than to see her as a full-on knight, complete with armor and weapon. After all, she was human! Or…was she?

Hitomi stared through the azure knight, her head reeling. It was one thing to avenge Sayaka's death so they could move on stronger. But to see the girl, seemingly alive and well when she had been proclaimed dead and buried…was just too much. "Sayaka…san…" She breathed softly, still not understanding how this had happened.

Heels clacked up the stairs in a hasty manner, coming up to the scene. Sakura Kyouko stopped short, one foot on the final step, the other having just stopped onto the checkered floor. She'd finally located the azure knight who'd run away from her, but she seemed…preoccupied. Scarlet eyes flitted between the three people, eyes widening in realization as she put two and two together.

Sayaka had been discovered.

'It's the same thing as before…' The redhead surmised in her head, as her legs moved automatically towards the scene, everything in slow motion. She could only vaguely see the train station, now – the entire area was screened over by a young redhead looking up, pleadingly, at the ominously silent man standing over her. 'If I don't do something…' Silhouetted figures, by the dozens, stared up at the stage, where the man held tightly to the redhead, not giving her the chance to escape, forcing her to face what she'd truly done.

"Sayaka, you…" The violinist trembled with fear, not quite understanding what he was really seeing – _**The old man glared down with cold, unforgiving eyes, a knife in hand.**_

'Sayaka will…'

"K-Kyousuke…" The mermaid was at a loss for words, not quite knowing what to say – _**The redhead stared up with wide, shaking eyes, a gaping hole in her left breast, bleeding steadily.**_

'Sayaka will…!'

"You…what ARE you…?!" The violinist took a step back, his face paling at the implications: She was a monster, similar to the creatures that had nearly killed them. Would she try to kill them!?

 _ **The witch was going to kill them, he had no choice; he had to kill them all first, to spare them the torture the Witch would surely bring upon them, just as they had to him, to the people. It was worth the blood, it was worth the cries.**_

'Please! Don't end up like me!' The redhead skidded to a stop, just a few feet away from the young man and his girlfriend. In an instant, her eyes flashed red, a hypnotic pulsing emanating from her, catching the attention of the couple.

 _ **YOU DIDN'T SEE SAYAKA…**_

Kyousuke and Hitomi flinched in place, their eyes widening before they slowly drooped half-closed, as if in a daze. Seeing the couple grow into a more relaxed, docile state, Kyouko persisted, her eyes narrowing slightly, focusing all her attention on keeping the two at bay. Across from them, Sayaka stood by; not quite realizing what was going on yet, her eyes still shaking with horror at having been discovered. Scarlet eyes pulsed a little stronger, but not too heavy; she didn't want to break them, after all, and the magic was already really hard on her as it was.

 _ **YOU'RE TIRED, IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY…**_

Kyousuke and Hitomi stopped in place, eyes glazed over as if in a dreamlike state – _**just like the congregation stared upwards at the preacher, eyes glazed over and a dreamy smile on their faces, they weren't themselves, they never would be.**_ 'Calm down,' Kyouko quietly chastised herself. 'Focus.' As hard as it was mentally and emotionally, she had to keep pressing. They couldn't find out about Magical Girls, Sayaka couldn't end up like she did.

 _ **YOU SHOULD START HEADING HOME…**_

 _ **Just like the parishioners, the foolish parishioners who believed everything the cursed words told them,**_ The violinist and his partner began to straighten out, their eyes still glazed over. It was time to leave; whatever they had come to the train station for was no longer important. "We should head home, Shizuki-san…" The green-haired girl, equally as dazed – _**they were under control, they'd been cursed, it was for everyone's good**_ – nodded in agreement, slowly turning away. "Yes...let's head home…" Azure eyes stared blankly for a moment, still at a loss of what to do, when the situation finally dawned on her. "Ah…!" Sayaka reached out a hand to them, watching as her friends, walking very strangely, left down the stairs, out of sight. The azure knight shook with a myriad of emotions, completely at a loss of what to do. Her friends saw her. She was a monster to them! But then they…why were they…?

"Nggh…" Kyouko swayed in place, struggling to keep her balance, bringing a hand to her forehead as she forced herself in place. A ragged breath escaped her lips, trying to keep herself together. 'I used my magic…the same kind of magic that got me where I am in the first place…!' Sayaka swerved her head, eyes wide with disbelief and anger. "Wha-YOU?! What are you-no, what did you do to my friends?!" The knight glared daggers at the redhead, but Kyouko didn't care or notice. Scarlet eyes shook with disgust and pain, past images flashing through her head at such a rapid pace, it was making her feel more nauseous than usual. 'How could I…?!'

"HEY!" Sayaka reached out a hand, gripping the redhead by her hoodie, pulling her close. The older veteran was dragged off her feet, dangling in the air like a ragdoll as she slowly came back to her senses, the feeling of slight suffocation coming to her. She glanced at angered azure pools. "I said, what did you DO to my FRIENDS?! If you hurt them in any way, so help me-!"

"I convinced them you weren't here!" Kyouko replied, her voice raspy from the exhaustion and pressure against her throat. She resisted the urge to cough. "I used my magic to convince them they didn't see you just now!" The answer she gave seemed to catch the knight off guard, as the taller female slowly loosened her grip. "…What…?" The redhead slipped out of healthy hands, falling to the ground. With a slight wince, Kyouko pushed herself back to her feet, looking the azure Magical Girl in the eyes. "I was only trying to protect you! Think about it; these people thought you were dead! I-If they'd found out what you were…!" As she explained herself to the younger girl, the same instance of her father overlaying the girl across from her occurred again, just like it had with the young man.

 _ **The young redhead, again, tried with all her might to appeal to the man standing over her. Again, his eyes stared back, cold, unforgiving, and eerily silent.**_

'Ah…it's the same thing again…'

"You were trying to…protect me?" Sayaka managed to utter out, her eyes expressionless as she processed what was being implied. The redheaded demon had helped her, protected her, from being acknowledged as a freak, a monster…

 _ **A…MONSTER…**_

Kyouko's eyes were covered by scarlet bangs as she glanced to the side, refusing to meet the taller girl's gaze now. She already knew what would happen – _**"You were trying to help me?! You Witch! You soul-deceiving Witch!"**_ – Sayaka was going to freak out, call her a monster for controlling the minds of her friends. All trust she could've possibly had, however little, would be gone. She would probably even lose all trust in Homura, at this rate.

"Thank you…" A blue light enveloped the azure knight, dissolving the azure garb and leaving her in her old Mitakihara school uniform, the only thing she had left of her old life.

 _ **A MONSTER…**_

Scarlet eyes widened with surprise at those words, looking up with a start. "Eh? S-Sayaka?" She caught the face of the younger girl, who seemed to be a little more accepting than she predicted. She did something wrong, didn't she? She'd lost all trust, hadn't she? Sayaka stared blankly at the veteran, feeling a sting in her eyes as she held out her hand. She felt sick, and heavy, like she didn't truly belong. "But…" Kyouko was about to question the knight's reaction when she noticed a stream of tears sliding down the azure female's cheeks. Scarlet eyes widened at the sight, before widening to pinpricks in horror at the sight of the girl's Soul Gem.

The entire jewel was practically pitch black!

"Sorry…they're right to fear me…" Sayaka remained unmoving, her hand trembling just slightly, the last vestiges of her humanity feeling like they were being ripped away with each syllable. _**She was a monster, nothing more than a monster, nobody could love her, nobody could befriend her, she didn't even deserve to live…**_ Across the way, she could see the redhead stepping back, just slightly, her pale skin somehow growing even paler at the sight. "S-Sayaka, your Soul Gem…!" _**Ah, it only made sense the girl would react like that. Who was she to call that demon a demon, when she herself was nothing more but a monster?**_

 _ **Maybe…this was for the best…?**_

"No normal human could just come back to life like this…" Her eyes grew ever darker, losing the life in her azure pools, the only hint of emotion the steady stream of tears. Kyouko stood by, eyes shaking in horror. The knight wasn't acting like herself…who was this!? She may not have known Miki Sayaka long, but that justice freak would have never allowed herself to…

 _The image of a snowy field played back in her mind, a lone redhead staring blankly at grey skies, nothing but her ragged breaths to break the silence. Nothing was the same, she felt disillusioned towards the world, but at the same time she felt a sick sense of clarity; Life wasn't a fairy tale. Everything had its consequences. And even with the best of intentions, it was never, NEVER right to sell one's soul._

 _ **But it was too late for that now,**_ just as it was too late for Sayaka. She realized with a start, the girl had been disillusioned at the prospect of being recognized as a monster, _**just as she herself was disillusioned at the fact that she had been labelled a Witch.**_

 _ **A Witch…**_

 _ **Why did it feel like there was a Witch close by?**_

A strained hitch caught in the back of Sayaka's throat as she fought back a sob. Her eyes were wide, almost delirious; they almost didn't even look human anymore. _**"CLEARLY…I MUST BE A MONSTER…"**_ A single tear, the last piece of her humanity, slowly slipped off her cheek, falling against the shell of her Soul Gem with a 'plink'. The moment it did, an explosion of bright blue light sent a shockwave, throwing the redhead back with a startled scream. "KYAAA!" She cried, unable to stop herself from being thrown back by the unnatural force. She fell with a thud to the checkered ground, a sharp gasp of pain escaping her lips when she made impact.

Across the way, Sayaka slowly swayed, lifelessly, from side to side, as a myriad of strange objects – fish, musical notes, train wheels – began to form around her and expand out into the whole area. The remains of the Soul Gem, suspiciously pointy on one side, expanded out further, a strange watery substance forming from within and breaking out. The fish gathered around, taking their places, while the wheels rolled along aimlessly, as if they had no destination. The music notes floated mindlessly into the air, as the watery creature, slowly growing more structured, rose into the air, throwing the azure female up into the air with it. A multicolored fin came into view, followed by the rest of its textured tail, the scales dark and foreboding, its entire rest of the body covered by a ragged pink cape. Its three-eyed helmet hung snugly over its head – or maybe that was its head – as it made itself comfortable where it was positioned.

Sakura Kyouko slowly came to, her eyes peering open slowly before they flashed open with a start, the girl throwing herself into a sitting position, the distinct feel of a Witch's barrier filling her senses. When? How!? Her Soul Gem hadn't been pulsating at the coming of a labyrinth, so why was she suddenly…her eyes widened with horror as the pin finally dropped, catching sight of the late Magical Girl floating lifelessly in front of the newfound Mermaid Witch.

The Witch that, until Sayaka's Soul Gem had exploded, wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Saya…ka…?" The redhead stared with wide, shaking eyes up at the creature, connecting the pieces together. "You're a…"

"…WITCH…?!"

* * *

"I see. So now she knows the truth…"

Red, beady eyes watched overhead, taking in the birth of a new being of despair. It was no surprise that Miki Sayaka had fallen so soon, particularly since she had already been made aware that she was essentially an undead; a fact that, strangely, seemed to disturb most girls. But the fact that the Grief Seed-obsessed veteran was there to witness the transformation…a never-ending smile seemed to widen even further at its revelation as Kyuubey looked down on the world, his white tail swishing lackadaisically in the moonlit night. Perhaps its plans would go even faster than it expected them to.

"Now, then…what Witches will you harvest for me, Sakura Kyouko?"

* * *

 **A/N: Nunununuuuuun!**

 **As is usual, Sayaka falls. This time though, she falls because she's seen as a monster, and it's too much to bear. Meanwhile, Kyouko's justt learned that the very thing she'd been obsessing over was actually the remains of Soul Gems! Will this snap her out of her obsession? Or will it only make things worse?**

 **Kyuubey, of course, is doing his little observing thing from above, pleased that harvesting is actually going on.**

 **And Homura? Well, this is probably too late for her to fix now, isn't it...?**

 **As usual, all comments and criticism are greatly accepted! I can't fix what I know isn't broken, after all.**

 **In the meantime...enjoy this chapter, and see you all next time!**


	11. Chapter 11: Gluttony

"Sayaka-chan hasn't come back yet, has she…"

Madoka stared forlornly at the empty living room, the white expanse of its layout just accentuating how lonely it felt. "Is she still Witch hunting with that…" She wanted to say redheaded demon, but she already knew where Homura stood. She wisely trailed off, leaving the two of them back in silence.

Homura stared quietly at the ground, royal-blue pools lost in thought as she contemplated what to do next. She could wait until Miki Sayaka and Sakura Kyouko learned to get along. Or…she could leave the timeline, and try all over again. She wasn't sure which one would be easier on herself, at any rate. She glanced quietly back at the pink-haired girl, her eyes melancholy.

'But it would save Madoka…'

"Homura-chan?" Madoka tilted her head to the side in confusion, taking in the lost expression of the raven-haired girl. "Are you…alright?" Homura blinked one, twice, a few times, before she rapidly shook her head, fighting to keep her cool. She couldn't lose her composure now; not when she was so close! She just needed to get the other girls to stop fighting, and then…

A strange, almost pulsating presence caught both the girls off their guard. In unison, the pink and raven duo began to glance around the area, their eyes sharp and alert. With another pulse, the two immediately looked down to their left hands. The pulsating…was coming from the Soul Gem. "A Witch is forming…?" Homura muttered in confusion, her eyes in disbelief. The only Witch that would have started forming was the Sweets Witch, but that had already passed.

It was either that, or it was…

Royal-blue pools widened in realization. She got to her feet, immediately calling forth her transformation, the shield appearing on her left arm. "Madoka, wait here." Her eyes narrowed. "I'm going to investigate the source of this pattern." Before the pink-haired girl had a chance to respond, she rushed out of the living room, immediately locking up the house and dashing, with all her might – with the assistance of her time-stop, of course – to the train station. It seemed too soon, MUCH too soon for that Witch to even DARE appear now!

And yet, the magical pattern she could feel in her Soul Gem…

Madoka wouldn't have recognized it, of course, but Akemi Homura had encountered that magical pattern several timelines, now. Somehow, when she thought everything would be fine, Miki Sayaka had managed to fall to despair! 'D-Don't tell me…Kyouko didn't show her the truth about Kamijou Kyousuke and Shizuki Hitomi, did she!?" If so, this was bad. VERY bad. She couldn't have Miki Sayaka turn into a Witch. She NEEDED this timeline to WORK! Why was Sakura Kyouko being so DIFFICULT!?

"Even after I admitted to her what I am…!" She cursed under her breath, keeping up the pace, not daring to stop until she got to the station.

* * *

" _Mami-san…"_

 _Bright scarlet eyes stared curiously at her slightly older mentor, watching as she slowly lifted up the obsidian object from the ground. "Do you know where Witches come from?"_

 _The taller blonde stood up straight, shaking her head, her twin curls swishing with the movement. "The most I know is what Kyuubey has told me, which I suspect is what he's told you."_

 _The redhead glanced thoughtfully to the side, scarlet brows knit together in concentration. "Mnn...Kyuubey told me before, that we were Beings of Hope, sent to fight the Beings of Despair known as Witches…I guess it's really just a good-versus-evil thing, huh?"_

" _Well, yes…" The elder female tilted her head slightly to the side, blinking in confusion at the younger girl's contemplations. "Of course…"_

 _Scarlet eyes stared out toward the horizon, her eyes narrowing as she contemplated further. "Still, it's interesting that he would list it as Hope versus Despair…it's almost like Ying and Yang, don't you think?" She glanced back at the blonde, a small frown on her face as she considered the meaning. "You can't have one without the other, after all…without darkness, there can be no light…" Her eyes narrowed further as she focused on what she was saying._

 _Beside her, the blonde stared in confusion. "Sakura…san?"_

 _Kyouko turned her head back towards her sempai, her eyes softening once more, any trace of her deep thoughts gone in a flash. "Nah, don't worry about it. I guess I've been listening to my Father's teachings a little too much lately, huh?" She ran ahead of the blonde, preoccupying herself with the task of taking on the Witches. "C'mon! We've got work to do!"_

 _Hope vs Despair…_

 _With every wish, there is a curse…_

 _Hope and despair balance out to zero…_

 _ **Magical Girls cannot survive without Witches…**_

Scarlet eyes stared, horrified, up at the sight before her. The lifeless body of Miki Sayaka remained, suspended in midair, just a few feet away from the Mermaid towering over them, her sword in armored hand. 'N-No way…' Scarlet pools shook with horror as things slowly fell into place. 'Witches come from…Magical Girls…?!'

The ragged redhead slowly got to her feet, eyes never leaving the Witch, her hand gently brushing against the outside of her right pocket – the same pocket she'd left that flower-shaped Grief Seed in. The one that…uncannily…looked similar to her late sempai's Soul Gem…

Design…!

That was where the blonde had disappeared to! That was why, even though Magical Girls could come back after a time, the golden veteran never showed herself in all the months Kyouko had been in Kasamino! It made perfect sense, when she thought of it that way. She couldn't appear as a Magical Girl because she had already turned into a Wi-

A…Witch…

The familiar taste of acid began to burn in the back of her throat as Sakura Kyouko slowly reached a hand into her pocket, trembling all the while.

'Mami-san was…Mami-san became a…Witch…'

Without breaking eye contact from the three-eyed creature towering over her, Kyouko absently pulled the flower-shaped Grief Seed out of her hoodie pocket, running her hand along it as she processed its identity.

" _It had golden ribbons pouring out the sides like arms, and the place was surrounded by apple trees…"_

 _ **The familiar tug of golden ribbons against her arms and neck, much like the desperate grip of her late sempai, began to play back in her head. Thread upon thread wrapped around her, attempting to keep her in place, as the redheaded familiar readied her spear to strike.**_

" _The familiar was really weird, too…_ _it looked a little like me…"_

 _ **Glassy scarlet eyes stared lifelessly into terror-struck scarlet pools, preparing to dive forward. All the while the tiny Witch floated along, preparing tea and forming more ribbons to ensure her new guest didn't escape.**_

 _ **A burst of red diamonds.**_

 _ **Sparks flew.**_

 _ **Black misty ooze spilled out of the remains of the tiny Witch, the last vestiges of her golden threads disappearing alongside the apple trees and tea party sets, leaving the near-strangled redhead to her own devices, reaching down to pick up her prize.**_

 _ **The pattern…it was a pretty flower design…**_

 _Crimson blood stained the cold body of the blonde-haired sempai, the topaz remains glinting sadly in the snowy landscape…_

Kyouko's eyes widened further, a gasp escaping her lips, her blood running cold as she glanced more towards the late Miki Sayaka than towards the Witch herself. 'I've been consuming…Magical Girls…this whole time…?!' She stepped back, just a bit, too stunned to even try to deny it. How could she deny it, when the truth was right in front of her!? She wasn't stupid…

Magical Girls came from Witches…

 _ **Magical Girls…come from Witches…**_

Finally breaking eye contact, she glanced down at the ground, everything falling into place in her mind. _**Witches were food. Grief Seeds kept her alive. By that same token, the very thing that became what would sustain her would surely fall into that category, wouldn't it?**_

 _ **Magical Girls were food.**_

"Well, isn't this convenient…" The redhead chuckled darkly, staring down as she processed her entire meaning.

 _Kyouko's eyes widened in surprise._

" _Eh?"_

 _Come to think of it…when had she been pushed back, where she could only see things as if through a globe? She stared in confusion, the Mermaid Witch and Miki Sayaka looking further away than ever before._

"This whole time, I always thought Magical Girls were nothing but competition…" The redhead held out her hand to the side, pocketing the flower-shaped Grief Seed with her other hand before pulling away, her body enveloped by a scarlet light, flame-like in appearance.

" _No. Stop, what are you saying…?" Kyouko's eyes shook with concern, helplessly watching as the twisted version of herself called up the transformation, donning the scarlet garb, spear in hand, her head still lowered. "You…you can't be thinking what I think you are…right?" She chuckled nervously, eyes trembling at this point. "T-This is all the more reason to stop relying so heavily on Grief Seeds, after all, r-right…?"_

"When, in fact…" She brought her spear at the ready, a crazy grin plastered on her pale face, her eyes still shadowed out by scarlet bangs as she prepared the battle. _**Witches were food. Magical Girls were food. She needed to survive, to thrive, to take down all who stood in her way, to eat, to eat, To EAT!**_

" _No…stop…"_

" _ **They were the source of the food this whole TIME!"**_ She cackled, raising her head up to face her prey, a crazy gleam in her eyes as she lunged into the air, preparing to dive at the Witch with no remorse or mercy.

" _STOP IT!" Kyouko cried out in dismay, banging on the glass of her vision-space once more, just as powerless to stop the other her as she was before. Except, this time…her twisted self wasn't going to even acknowledge her cries for it to stop._

Naturally, the Mermaid Witch refused to back down, her stubbornness and drive to fight her foes just as powerful as the girl this Witch had come from – if not more so. She raised her sword to ready a deadly strike, the movements slow. She may not have been moving fast, but she knew she was covered. She had her precious wheels to protect her.

To her surprise, the wheels were being pushed back as if they were nothing, the crazed redhead carelessly using all force to blast everything away with a powerful shockwave, her spear snapped into a whip. She leapt off each wheel, using it to her advantage to get even higher and closer to the three-eyed creature. _**She was going to hunt, she was going to feed. This wasn't her first, it wouldn't be her last, who cared what that thing once was, it just meant she knew where to get more!**_

" _STOP IT, I SAID!" The redhead cried out, her fists bleeding from all the pounding against the mental glass, tears streaming down her face. "I DON'T WANT THIS!" She felt weak, helpless; but despite how much it hurt, despite how much she wanted to curl up and die, she couldn't._

 _She couldn't let her own monster kill the only allies she had left!_

The redheaded demon lashed at the Witch, the blade of the spear tipped with a fiery aura. The magic of its embers penetrated the armor, creating a terrible burn in the mermaid's collarbone area. Before the Witch had the chance to throw her blade down and into the tiny hunter, she felt another blow, and another, coming at her from all sides. The redhead had summoned up multiple spears to rip into the Witch's flesh, leaving her screaming in pain and agony. In a fit of desperation, she threw the blade down, randomly, not even caring at this point if she hit the hunter or not. She needed it to stop; she wanted to be left alone to wallow in her misery! _**"GYAAAAAHHH!"**_ The Witch screamed, another blade ripping into her flesh, arm falling clean off as blue blood gushed out and onto the checkered floor.

All the while, Miki Sayaka's corpse remained suspended in the air, her body helplessly carried by the forces of battle. _Kyouko gasped at the sight, pressing her palm against the bloodied glass, trying with all her might to reach the girl. "I-If nothing else…I need to bring her back to her friends! She can't just disappear…!" Naturally, the glass budged no more this time than it had when she had been pounding incessantly against it; the azure female remained caught in the crossfire. Her body was thrown left and right, off to the side, back towards the battle,_ as the redheaded demon tore into more of the Witch's flesh.

Now of course, she too had sustained her own injuries; in the Witch's fit of desperation, the once healed wound in the redhead's abdomen had been torn open, blood was pouring down her forehead and into her eye, and she had a slight limp in one of her legs. But the promise of food – _**Witches were food, they were all she could live on, nothing else had any meaning!**_ – kept her going, left her ignorant to her screaming limbs. _**She was only hardware, after all; she could take more than a beating and still survive.**_

A final shockwave tore into the Mermaid Witch, creating an explosion of blue blood, splattering everywhere; on the redhead, on the corpse that slowly fell to the ground, on the slowly dissolving wheels. The redheaded demon allowed gravity to take her back down, bloody heels clacking against the checkered floor, the corpse just right next to her. With disinterest, the demon glanced down boredly at what was left of Miki Sayaka. Her dead body had sustained its own wounds from the battle, and her once light azure locks were drenched in ocean blue muck. _**For a moment she contemplated the idea of kicking the dead Magical Girl away and into the remains of the barrier, so she would disappear along with the rest of what remained of the girl's whiny despairing.**_

 _ **But where was the fun in that?**_

She reached down, grabbing the cold, limp arm of the taller girl and pulling her away from the dissolving barrier. With a satisfied grin, she dragged the girl behind her as she made her way over to her prize – the crescent-patterned Grief Seed with music notes on the side. _**Now that she thought about it, it was obvious that Soul Gems and Grief Seeds were one and the same. "I wonder what my Grief Seed looks like…"**_ She muttered calmly to herself, setting the obsidian object against her muddy Soul Gem, simultaneously dropping the girl unceremoniously to the ground. It wasn't like she really cared about the girl, after all. _**She just wanted to see the looks on the others' faces when they saw the dead girl and realized that no, she wasn't going to come back this time.**_

" _Sayaka…!" Kyouko stared sadly at the girl's corpse before realizing, with a start, what she was doing. "No, STOP! You're HURTING her!" She slammed her fist into the glass again, eyes shaking with horror as the redhead continued, without pause, to drain her corruption into what was left of Miki Sayaka. "Please, I don't wanna be a murderer…!"_

 _ **But you've been one all along…**_

 _Scarlet eyes widened, before contorting in pain._

 _ **You've been hunting Witches, without a care, all for the sake of "justice". You never once cared about their pain then, now did you…?**_

 _Sakura Kyouko glanced guiltily to the side, feeling sick to her stomach. "Dang it, I know…you think I don't realize how sick this has all been…?! That's why it HAS to stop!" She swerved her head back towards the glass._

The redheaded demon proceeded down the stairs, not caring about the fact that she was covered in her own, and the mermaid's, blood. _**Now wasn't the time to worry about needing a bath – there was more Witch fodder that was in the area…**_

 _ **And she was still sooo hungry…**_

* * *

By the time Akemi Homura had made it to the quiet train station, it was near dawn. With slow, deliberate steps, she made her way up the stairs, bracing herself for the barrier of the Mermaid Witch.

'Wait.'

She stopped short, just at the top of the stairs. 'Where is the magical pattern? She didn't move, did she?' She glanced suspiciously around, royal-blue eyes narrowed. Her eyes caught sight of something blue on the floor, looking rather tattered. She gasped in realization as she darted up the last step and across the checkered floor. Lying on the ground, as if dropped haphazardly, was Miki Sayaka. Her legs were all bent funny; one arm was bent upwards while the other was almost folded underneath her body. And one thing was for absolute certain.

Miki Sayaka was dead.

Homura knelt to the corpse's level, looking her over sadly. It looked like she had been caught in a ferocious battle; not even her corpse had been left unscathed this time around, with cuts and gashes riddling her cold skin. Heaving a sad sigh, the raven-haired girl helped herself to her feet, taking in the ocean-blue muck that had covered the girl's hair and clothes. The color…was eerily similar to the Mermaid Witch's blood. She pursed her lips tightly. Was she too late?

And where was Sakura Kyouko?

"Whatever happened here, she would know." She muttered darkly, turning sharp on her heel and running back down the stairs. 'Dang it, Kyouko…why has it been so hard to keep you on my side…?! Aside from Madoka, you're the only one I can trust anymore!'

She stopped short, glancing back at the azure corpse. Despite all odds, she was somehow the only one who had been the most cooperative this timeline. "…If nothing else…I should bury her back at the cemetery…" She walked back towards the corpse, kneeling down and lifting the limp girl into her arms. Turning on her heel again, she made her way back down the stairs, carefully, as she walked out of the train station.

* * *

" _I killed her…! I killed Sayaka…!"_

 _Sakura Kyouko paced back and forth, glancing frantically back at the glass every now and then. A few hours had gone by since the girl had been killed, but luckily, the redheaded demon hadn't run into anyone else in that time. She breathed a shaky sigh of relief, continuing her pacing. She wasn't one for thinking things through, but she needed to figure out some way to break out of her subconscious._

 _Her magic affected the mind…surely, she could figure out SOMETHING…_

The redheaded demon glanced this way and that, the vicious grin she'd had now long gone from her face. _**She expected to find her prey sooner. Where were they!?**_ Gnashing her teeth in anger, she stomped along the alleyways, keeping her Soul Gem alert for any aura. She stopped short, eyes wide with realization before a cruel grin curled her lips. _**"That's right…if Magical Girls become Witches…then surely, just like I can pick up the patterns of a Witch, I can pick up the patterns of a Magical Girl…"**_ She focused her energy, closing her eyes as she sensed for vestiges of Hope. Ironic, that; all hope was lost to her long ago, after all.

 _Why else would she be trapped inside her own mind, helplessly watching as the demon prowled the city, Soul Gem slowly resonating with the faint traces of time magic? She held her breath in fear; the Witch had caught onto Homura's scent! At this rate, she would try to kill her!_

 _But when it came down to it, who would win? Homura, of course; she could bypass the uncontrollable greed of the scarlet Witch using her time magic. Kyouko shook her head, expression grimly determined. "Homura can stop me…Homura can end this. I won't have to kill anyone, anymore." With that small ray of hope, she let out a tired sigh, sitting down and leaning against the vast nothingness, staring out into the outside world._

" _Homura will be able to kill me, and then we can start all over…"_

Footsteps sounded in the distance, causing the redhead to glance quietly over, her eyes cool and uncaring, but her grin wide and menacing. The raven-haired female walked into view, a disappointed frown on her face, Soul Gem protected in ring form. "I thought you were better than this, Sakura Kyouko." She started right away, eyes narrowing reproachfully, a slight growl to her voice; she'd had enough of these anomalies.

Scarlet eyes glinted mischievously as the redheaded demon stepped closer, swinging her spear over her shoulder. "About TIME you showed yourself. Y'know, I was starting to get bored out here! The little justice freak was barely enough to tide me over." Homura's frown deepened. "So I noticed. You were supposed to WORK with her, not drive her to her death. What did you do to cause such a reaction, Sakura Kyouko?" She stepped closer forward, Soul Gem at the ready. She could sense a battle brewing, and she wasn't about to lose.

Kyouko's eyes just crinkled with amusement at the girl's response. "Who, ME? I didn't do anything. The idiot justice freak led herself to her own downfall by worrying too much about victims. Serves her right, being thought of as a monster by the boy she liked! Teaches her not to waste her time on the humans, eh!?" She cackled in delight at the memory, slapping her knee to express her amusement of the irony. She settled down, eerily calm again, a slight tilt to her head, that smile never fading. "Anyway, she's gone now. Pop!" She flicked her fingers together, mimicking the motion of something exploding or 'popping' into nothingness.

Homura sighed. "I see. So you killed her this timeline around…" She shook her head. "Well, once changed, it can't be undone…you were doing her a service, I suppose…" Scarlet eyes lit up. "Really?! You think it's a service?! Can I kill you next?!" Homura looked up with a start, confusion and concern on her face. "…W-What?" Kyouko stepped closer, removing the spear from over her shoulder. "No, really! I'd be doing both you AND me a favor that way, right? Can I kill YOU next?!" Her grin was wide and gleeful, no hint of remorse in her eyes over what she had to do. 'She…HAD to do it…right?' Homura frowned with concern, taking a step back. "You said…you weren't the one who made her fall. That Miki Sayaka had simply met with karma, and suffered for it…if you had known about that truth beforehand-" Kyouko's grin only widened. "I would GLADLY have run her down! I mean, come on! If she's being such a whiny priss, she should just SHUT UP and hand over her Grief Seed!" Homura stepped back a few more steps. "And…how do you feel about Grief Seeds in general, now…?" The redhead's eyes narrowed dangerously, her spear's blade dragging the ground as she stepped closer.

" _ **All Soul Gems should be Grief Seeds."**_

Homura's eyes widened in an instant, before narrowing again, forcing herself to keep her cool. "Y-You don't really mean that. I know you-"

" _ **HA!"**_ The redhead swung the spear's blade toward her, stopping just short of Homura's neck. " _ **"You don't 'know me' like you think! Do you REALLY believe that, just because you've seen a million other versions of me, that you got me all figured out?! How much did you REALLY get to know those other versions, anyway!?"**_ She stopped short, pulling the spear away again, a loud scraping sound as it met impact with the ground. "Wait. I'm getting off topic, that's not the point." She exhaled through her nostrils as she used two fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose, allowing herself to calm down. "The point is…weak humans get devoured by Witches. Magical Girls devour Witches, Magical Girls become said Witches and get devoured by other Magical Girls." She gave a careless shrug. "It's the circle of life, y'know? I mean, Magical Girls would go around killing each other, anyway. What's the difference, besides raising the Witch population a little bit?"

Homura glared at the slightly shorter girl. "You're NOT Sakura Kyouko. Where is she?" The demon chuckled softly. "This again…haven't you ever considered that this is who I am?" She swung the spear out, snapping the handle into segments, the spear's blade dangling a few feet from the ground. "Now…let's go hunting, shall we?" She licked her lips in anticipation, causing the time traveler's blood to run cold. The scarlet Magical Girl meant business. But it was okay. She had her time magic on her side, and the redhead wasn't actually trying to KILL her.

'No…she's trying to EAT me!'

She shook her head frantically to calm herself, calling forth a burst of violet magic around her, the magical garb from her contract donning her thin form. The familiar round object, her shield, built itself around her arm, the purple sand glinting in the dawn's light. She could take her. Homura had never needed to actually kill Sakura Kyouko in any other timeline…and honestly, she'd rather it not have to happen…but it couldn't be too difficult. After all, her Soul Gem was in plain sight, and she couldn't move when time was stopped. Immediately, she pulled on the shield, turning it ninety degrees before it clicked. A few seconds after, the world lost its saturation again, causing the redhead to go still.

'This is it…' Homura thought sadly, pulling out a bomb, setting it and tossing it towards the girl, where it paused in midair. 'I had hoped this timeline would somehow work out…but I guess that's impossible, now…all I can do is hope that Madoka can at least be spared before I leave again.' She waited a moment, two moments, to allow herself some peace of mind, before having to go back into the fray. The few minutes supplied to her felt like an eternity; eventually, however, time resumed its pace, and the explosion cut off all other sound in the area, leaving a deafening roar until nothing was left in that spot but rubble. She closed her eyes sadly, silently grieving her once partner. The radius of the blast was more than enough to shatter the Soul Gem. "Goodbye…Kyouko…" She murmured softly.

" _ **Who're you saying goodbye to?"**_

Homura looked up with a start, royal-blue eyes darting around for any sign of the voice. No…it was impossible! She'd prepared those bombs herself to be powerful enough to take out a Witch! Surely, a Magical Girl's Soul Gem would…

A flurry of spears emerged from the ground, causing the raven-haired Magical Girl to leap quickly out of the way. She glanced with alarm toward the source of the magic, spotting the familiar shade of red on top of one of the pipes hanging out. The area she'd been standing previously had left nothing but a crater…of course!Sakura Kyouko was a lancer! And an experienced one, at that. Her reflexes had gotten her out of the most slippery of circumstances before; why would a second or two of dodging an explosion be any different?! Homura grit her teeth; this wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.

The redhead smirked down at her. Her skin was a little singed, her kneecaps bleeding from the impact, but she didn't seem to care about the damage. Her Soul Gem, slightly muddy from the fight, still remained intact against her breast bone area. "Is that all you got?" She taunted. "I thought you'd fight better than this, what with your experience!" She let out a long, drawn out sigh. "GOSH, what a bitter disappointment." Homura glared up at her; she'd never felt such strong resentment toward the redhead before, even when she'd first witnessed her and the azure knight at each other's throats. "I suppose the feeling is mutual, then, Sakura Kyouko. I hoped you would rise past your gluttonous nature, but it appears I may have given you way too much credit." She reached into her shield, removing an AK-47 and readying to fire.

Scarlet eyes rolled in their sockets as the redhead absently pulled out the crescent Grief Seed, setting it against her Soul Gem to cleanse it of impurities before resuming her battle. "Oh, cry me a river." She put the Grief Seed away before getting into a fighting stance, chains rattling from the movement. "Nobody gives a darn about your precious mission and how far you've struggled, and how you OUGHT to know someone because you saw another version! It's called alternate universes, kiddo!" She swung the chains around like a lasso, an aura of fire building up around it as she silently gauged Homura's movements. The raven-haired girl cocked the gun in place, aiming her sights before releasing a flurry of bullets upon the shorter female. Hopefully ONE of these would hit the Soul Gem! The bullets ricocheted off the chains and back towards Homura, causing the girl to quickly move out of the way before she was hit. A single bullet struck her in the leg, grazing the appendage as it flew past. With a wince of pain, Homura moved further back, watching the redhead as she stood firm with her flaming lasso.

What was she planning to do with that thing?

The redhead glared down at her prey, a heartless smile planted on her pale face. With a red flash, the aura of fire built up, taking its own shape and dispersing from the spinning weapon. It grew in size, fiery razor-sharp teeth forming as the creature, dragon-like in appearance, dove down with great force towards the raven-haired girl. Homura gasped with alarm at the creature, immediately reaching for her shield and turning it ninety degrees again. As she did, the world came to another stop, the redhead paused in her motions. Royal blue pools glanced cautiously back at the fiery creature, only to find it gone. She blinked with surprise and confusion, looking around to see where it might have disappeared to. This wasn't good; she couldn't gauge how far away to move if she couldn't see it! She grit her teeth, experimentally stepping back a few feet, before allowing time to resume.

As she did, the fiery dragon reappeared in full force, still diving right for her and knocking her, with scorching heat, into the alley wall. "AUUGH!" Homura cried out in pain, her back making impact against the surface, before she quickly looked up. Why? Why couldn't she see the creature when time was stopped?! It wasn't like fire was made of only light! She glanced around, confusion and terror clear on her face, before she noticed a glint coming from the redhead's direction.

Her eyes…they were glowing. Almost…in a pulsating manner…?

Homura carefully began to bring herself to her feet. She couldn't let this last. Her tolerance for pain was only so-so, and her tolerance against magic consumption just as shoddy. As soon as she got to her feet, the fiery dragon rammed into her again, knocking the wind out of her as she hit the wall once more, this time not even having the chance to scream out. Her skin seared with scorch marks from the creature, blood seeping from the more tender areas that were hit. She looked back up, eyes darting left and right.

"Aww, you having trouble keeping up?" The redhead cooed mockingly, still swinging the spear-whip around herself as a shield against the bullets, the fiery creature still in the frontlines. "Well, sorry. I don't go easy on my prey, and you've just been OH SO annoying." She gave a casual shrug. "Nothing personal, it's just the food chain." Homura grit her teeth tighter, feeling the sting in her jaw. She forced herself to her feet again, wincing from the pain in her leg. "I don't understand. What is that creature? How are you doing that?" She shook her head. "It won't appear when time is stopped!"

"No kidding? Well, sucks to be you, then!" The redhead grinned wider, her eyes still maintaining that glow; the effect only made her seem scarier and more deadly than she did before. Royal-blue pools trembled with uncertainty. There was one thing the twisted version of Kyouko was right about; she never really did try to get to know the girl. All she knew about Sakura Kyouko was that she had some tragic backstory that involved Tomoe Mami, that she was always interfering in Miki Sayaka's business, and that she was actually really quite helpful in the fight against Walpurgisnacht, if she could make it that far. She never stopped to ponder what her true skill was, what her wish really consisted of, or even why she seemed so two-faced most of the time.

In short…she had barely even attempted to scratch the surface of the girl.

The fiery creature rammed into her again, snapping the raven-haired girl immediately out of her thoughts and back into the present, her face contorting with pain and fear. She quickly turned the shield again, stopping time short. She still couldn't figure out why she couldn't see the creature in the time field, but at that point she just wanted to get away from its reach. She leapt, with effort, away from where the creature was previously towering over her, stopping just short of the redhead. Again, she saw the redhead stopped short, her Soul Gem in view, but only just barely. If she tried to shoot it, she would either only graze her just short of the gem, or the bullet would ricochet off the chains of her weapon. Either way, it was risky no matter what she did. She stepped back, just a little bit, to avoid getting hit by the spear-whip before resuming time again, watching as the creature reappeared.

"Hn?" The redhead blinked, glancing down at where the creature had recently been attacking the girl; it looked like she'd used time stop to slip away. "Oh, you got smart." She glanced to her side, jumping back a bit in surprise at her presence. "Whoa! And bold, too! I coulda hit you with this, y'know!" Homura took a chance, shooting out an arm and grabbing hold of the hand swinging the weapon, stopping her short. "Wha—HEY!" The redhead growled, immediately trying to push the girl off. "Get OFFA me!"

"How did that creature not appear in the time field?" Homura interrogated, her grip tightening, even as she could feel bruises forming on her arms and face from where the redhead was hitting her. "It's made of fire; fire should be visible even when time is still." Kyouko scoffed, using her leg to kick the girl off of her, succeeding as the slightly taller girl flew back. "THAT'S none of your business, prey!" The creature disappeared in an instant; scarlet eyes lost the glow they had as the redhead leapt back onto another pipeline. _**She didn't have to waste magic on this girl. All she had to do was buy some time until the girl's Soul Gem finally ran out. Judging by the heavy breathing and blood trickling from the time traveler, it wouldn't be too much longer, now.**_

 _ **And in any case, it looked like it was risky to hang around too close.**_

 _It may have been just enough time for Kyouko to find her way into control again, however. "That magic just now was my illusion magic…" She muttered to herself, her eyes narrowed, concentrating as she pulled forth from her essence the magic she hadn't wanted to dabble with. Her illusion magic was what caused all of this to begin with; maybe, by some stroke of luck, it would be the one to end it all? Her face contorted with pain, a strain on her soul from reaching into the magic that had rejected her so readily. "Gnngh…!" She focused harder, gritting her teeth tightly until her gums bled. The scarlet Witch had a tight hold on her magic right now…_

 _But she would win it back with the same stubbornness that kept her going!_

" _ **WITCH!"**_

 _She clenched her eyes tight shut, a bead of sweat sliding down her brow._

" _ **You deceive the hearts and minds of others…"**_

 _No. It didn't matter anymore. She needed that magic to fight back. It was the only way! As she focused harder, the walls began to close in around her, causing her to look up in alarm. "Wait-what?!" Scarlet eyes darted to the sides as they came close. From behind, something diamond-shaped and chain-like in form wrapped around her legs and arms, causing the redhead to cry out in alarm. "KYAA! NO! Let GO of me!" She glanced around, glaring darkly at what was restraining her. Her anger dissolved into lost confusion at the sight of what was holding her back, however; the red-diamond links she'd been using glinted back at her. Her eyes widened to pinpricks at the suggestion. "The…barriers. They didn't appear until…"_

" _Until I lost my illusion magic…"_

Homura glared darkly at the predator watching from her perch up high. She couldn't waste any more time, or time magic. Some way or another, she NEEDED to get to that Soul Gem.

Or…she could just leave.

"No." She grit her teeth. "I won't desert Madoka!" If she left now, she would leave the precious pink-haired Magical Girl to the horrid fate of being hunted down by the ravenous veteran. She couldn't leave now! Not while the scarlet female was still alive, anyway. She raised her head, her eyes narrowing further. "So, is this how you want things to go, Sakura Kyouko; to fall victim to your own instincts, and waste everything? It seems like a pretty pathetic existence, in my opinion." The demon rolled her eyes, dangling the spear-whip from her hand. "Oh, puh-leease. Like that's going to do anything?" She brought a free hand to her head, pointing. "She's not home, leave a message!" With quick movements, she leapt down and closer to the raven-haired girl. It was actually much too boring to play the waiting game. She liked Cat and Mouse! "And anyway, should you really be talking? Miss 'My Life is a Maaaze'?" She drawled out the last word, her mouth twisted into a mocking sneer. "So, ready for round two?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Homura growled as she reached into her shield, removing another weapon; a rocket launcher. It wouldn't be nearly as easy for the girl to avoid this weapon. She stepped back a bit, readying her ammunition and aiming. The redhead tilted her head coyly to the side, as if taunting her to try. Royal-blue pools bubbled with rage. With a breath, Homura pulled the trigger, setting a rocket launcher toward the scarlet veteran. Unsurprisingly, the redhead dodged it with ease, receiving only a graze on her exposed leg. "That all you got?!" She taunted further, before throwing her hand towards the ground, a flurry of blades jutting out from right behind the raven-haired girl. Homura gasped in surprise and pain as the blades went through her back, impaling her; how could she not have seen the attack coming?! "Gnngh!" She gurgled, blood dripping from her mouth. She glanced frantically back at the spears, then back in front, before attempting to pull herself out.

"See, your explosions are, well, they're just too showy." The redhead explained calmly, flicking her wrist as she signaled the blades away again, tearing the weapons out from the girl's back and causing her to cry out in pain. "They lack the element of surprise. And while you've got your time magic…let's face it." She giggled. "You kinda suck at using it right! You're always all about creating a foreboding image that you don't spend enough time actually planning HOW you're being foreboding!" She flicked her wrist again, this time conjuring up red diamond links that wrapped tightly around the time traveler's arms and legs, lifting her up and immobilizing her. Homura gasped, eyes widening as they darted left and right, all composure out the window.

" _HOMURA!" Kyouko cried out in terror, struggling in her own binds. "NO! YOU ARE NOT MAKING ME A MURDERER AGAIN!" Her eyes flashed red, the magic spreading from her to the chains around her. They flickered for a moment before dying out, allowing the redhead to land to her feet. Determination still affixed to her features, she ran back over to the glass, her hands receiving the same aura as she reached to touch it. The glass rippled for a moment before giving way, her hand reaching through. She may have not been able to get back out to the outside world…but she could sure control it!_

The redhead stepped closer, too caught up in her prey to take notice of what was going on inside. She swung her spear-whip around, chuckling darkly, staring up into the frightened eyes of the time traveler. "Well, I guess that took the fight right outta you." She aimed a spear towards the girl's shield, grin widening. "You won't need THIS."

" _LET HER GO…"_

The redhead stopped short. "…What?" Scarlet eyes narrowed, before stepping back a bit from the time traveler. The flickering of magic caught her attention again, the sight of the diamond links fizzling out causing a low growl to escape her lips. _**"Oh, no…she's not getting out again…"**_ She snarled, eyes flashing red to reinforce the barrier. To her surprise, it didn't reform. "Hey, what the?!" Homura, meanwhile, landed to the ground, a little shaky. 'What's happening?' She frowned in confusion, stepping back, wincing as she put pressure on her leg.

" _What are you doing?!"_

Royal-blue eyes widened.

" _Don't just stand there! Now's your chance!"_

'Kyou…ko?'

" _Get out of here! KILL ME and GET OUT OF HERE!"_

Homura glanced quietly down at her shield, the once-violet Soul Gem peeking out on her hand. It was a deep color, almost a dark twilight hue. Clearly she didn't have long before her Soul Gem would corrupt. She just needed to catch the hunter while she was still off guard.

" _YOU DON'T HAVE LONG! KILL ME WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!"_

Homura nodded slowly, reaching for her shield as she prepared to stop time once more. This was it. The moment she was waiting for. All she had to do was stop time again, and the redhead would be helpless. She had other weapons that could smash a Soul Gem, after all. Her katana. The old golf club. Either one of those would suffice.

She closed her eyes softly, grieving the trapped part of the redhead.

The redhead shook her head, snarling in anger. _**"Okay, FINE! If THAT'S how it's going to be!"**_ She glared back towards the raven-haired girl. She wasn't far, she could easily cross the distance, _**all she needed was an extra push, that shield would surely get in the way, she knew what she needed to do, she needed to EAT, EAT, EAT!**_ She licked her lips in anticipation, snapping her spear back together before charging forward. _**Who cared about special skills, at this point!? It was always survival instincts that got her far in life!**_ Just as the tip of Homura's hand touched the rim of the shield, the redhead rushed forward, swinging her spear with sharp force just underneath the arm, tearing into the skin just above it and ripping the arm clean off.

"AUGHHH!" Homura screamed in agony, falling back, hearing the sickening thump of a falling appendage across the way. She glanced up in fear and alarm, processing what had just happened. The redhead stepped over to the torn arm, lifting it up with one hand, yanking the shield off and dropping it to the ground before holding her spear up with the other hand, bringing it down into the object with a satisfying CRUNCH.

 _Kyouko was flung back into the wall, chains wrapping around her once more, the magic from her eyes dissipating in an instant. "KYAA!" She cried, before looking back at the glass, scarlet eyes widening in fear and horror. "No…no, no, NO! This isn't how it was supposed to GO!" She struggled once more against her binds, struggling to control them with her will over the magic once more, but to no avail. Before that point, the scarlet Witch had seemed settled with using the skills of a Magical Girl. Now, she seemed content to use the very basics, and her brute force. Magic was no longer a variable she could exploit._

" _Why…WHY!?"_

Royal-blue eyes widened to pinpricks. "No…NO!" Homura clambered toward the redhead, clawing at the ground with one hand, slowly realizing that she had just lost the other. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! MY MISSION!" The veteran pulled her spear out of the machine, watching as the purple sand streamed out and onto the ground, where it dispersed into magic nothingness. _**"I don't give a rat's ASS about your mission, prey."**_ Scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously. _**"You don't seem to realize your place yet, do you?"**_ Homura shook her head, fighting to keep the sting of tears from bursting forth into streams. "Y-YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I TRUSTED YOU!" The hunter released a tired sigh, glancing toward the Soul Gem, gauging how far it had to go. She was starting to get tired of the girl's whining, but at the same time, it sped up her despair. _**"Correction: You 'trusted' the idiot Magical Girl who tried to starve herself. Because, according to you, I'm 'not Sakura Kyouko'. But guess what?"**_ She thrust the spear into the girl's back, impaling her as she was knelt on her uneven limbs, the raven-haired girl gasping from the attack before coughing out blood. _**"I AM. Y'see, in every person there is a natural instinct. The instinct that keeps you alive, well, and away from harm. I've kept Kyouko fed all her life, EVEN when it had to resort to methods she herself would NEVER use. Stealing…murder…this is just another obstacle I have to overcome to keep Kyouko fed. I'm doing my JOB, as her survival instinct."**_

" _ **Without ME, Kyouko would have died a LOOOOONG time ago."**_

* * *

Rose eyes stared quietly into the white expanse of floor. Homura had been gone for hours now; it was past time for them to head to school, she realized absently, glancing down at her smart phone in its pink casing, the digital display reading 9:40am; past the start of the first class. Her parents would surely be alerted of her absence. But she still hadn't heard from Sayaka, and the fact that Homura hadn't reappeared after hours of going off to locate her and the redhead concerned Madoka greatly. She rose to her feet, a grim expression on her young, burdened face. "Homura-chan…I don't think it's wise of her to trust that redheaded demon…no matter what she says…" She shook her head fervently. "I just have a bad feeling about her!"

The pulsing sensation from before resonated through the room, causing Madoka to stop short, her pink eyes widening with surprise. "A-Again?!" She cried out, looking around. She straightened out, fists clenched, her eyes closing softly shut. "Wait…this one's different from the one Homura-chan and I felt earlier…" What was it? Her eyes flashed back open, grim determination on her soft features. She made for the door, pink puppy tails disappearing around the corner.

Whatever was happening, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong!

* * *

 **A/N: Welp, here's the next update!**

 **I'd actually finished this a few weeks ago, but I'm afraid my computer's getting old and tired, and it's getting time to replace it. So I had to wait until I had it backed up before I could post it on here, haha.**

 **Anyway, on to the story. Kyouko's cracked. She's broken. And she's stuck. As for Homura? Well...she really should have left the timeline. (On that note, I have an alternate path resulting in a sequel planned out that I'll start working on once this story's finished. Just in case you were interested.) Madoka's got a lot to look forward to, between her best friend being dead - for good - and Homura not being there to help.**

 **And Kyouko? Well...let's just say, it's too little too late to combat her Grief Seed obsession...**

 **Thank you all for sticking through this story! Be prepared for the finale, as soon as I get it written up!**

 **See you next time!**


	12. Chapter 12: Despair

_"Why..."_

 _Scarlet eyes stared helplessly through her glass cage,_ at the forming landscape of Christmas trees, dancing dolls and strange crows. Lifeless eyes stared out at their audience as the Claras stepped carefully, daintily, across the soft sands.

 _"Why...!"_

The skeleton form of the Witch rose up out of the surface, chains pulling on her enormous skirt as they slowed her down in her eternal quest. In the background, chimes sounded ominously throughout, swinging golden pendulums bringing color to the otherwise deathly looking scenario.

 _"Why?!"_

Scarlet eyes glinted excitedly as a spear was readied, its blood-stained tip glinting in the pale sunset glow of the Witch's domain. The skeleton looked slowly toward her, her empty sockets taking in everything and nothing under the brim of her classic Witch's hat.

 _"WHY!?"_

The broken record spun endlessly, even as bones shattered and black ooze poured out from the blade's impact. **She was helpless, she knew it. She was always helpless. She had always...always...**

 **Never made...any difference...**

The lithe redhead landed with a clack to the ground, swinging the ooze off her spear as she witnessed the barrier slowly fade away. She walked over, grabbing hold of the bloodied corpse of Akemi Homura, dragging her out of the barrier before it faded for good, just as she had for the other nuisance.

 _"WHY?! She was supposed...supposed to defeat...!" Scarlet eyes trembled in shock, fear, sorrow...she couldn't place all the emotions she was currently feeling, but she was certain that anger was mixed in there as well. But who was it directed towards? Homura, who hesitated at the last second, and lost her chance to succeed? Or...herself, dangling helplessly in the subconcious of her own mind by the very barriers she sought the help of so many times?_

 _She sighed deeply, feeling the sting of tears from the frustration. She felt so small, so powerless, against herself! In all her years, Kyouko had only thought to rely on her instincts when things had gone wrong for her - and where did it lead her now?_

The approaching footsteps didn't escape the redhead's notice as she knelt down to pick up the hourglass-patterned Grief Seed, marveling at its obsidian sheen. Her eyes shifted coolly towards the source, noting the growing shadow of bouncing puppytails. A predatory grin slipped onto her face. **"And...here's the last of the prey, coming right to me."** She muttered eagerly, shifting to meet the girl.

 _The imprisoned redhead looked up with a start, her breath caught in her throat. "No...Madoka...! Run!"_

Kaname Madoka slowed to a stop, her breaths hard and heavy as she stared ahead at what she was about to face. Unsurprisingly, the scarlet demon stood by, eyes cold and uncaring as she rolled a Grief Seed in between her fingers. She couldn't place the reason for her terrifying smile, however. In defense, she took a step back, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Sakura...Kyouko-san..." She stated, forcing herself to remain calm. "Where's...where are Sayaka-chan and Homura-chan...?" She called out accusingly, steeling herself and taking a step forward.

"Ah? Little blue is long gone, kid." Kyouko stated simply, looking back at the object in her hand. "And Homura, well..." She dropped the body of the raven-haired girl unceremoniously to the ground, creating a distinct thud and catching the pink-haired girl's attention. "She's right here, if you'd use your eyes for once." Madoka gasped in alarm, rushing to the dark haired girl's side. "Homura-chan!" She cried, placing a hand on her shoulder, only to flinch. "H...Her arm!" She jerked her head up to face the slightly taller female, rage in her eyes. "You...what did you do to her...?! And where is Sayaka-chan!?"

 _"You don't have time to worry about them anymore! Please, just get out of here!"_

"Miki Sayaka, if you must know," The scarlet demon cooed softly as she continued rolling the Grief Seed around in her hand. "Is in my pocket. But, she's also in the train station." She glanced up, sidelong, at the petite Magical Girl, as the shorter girl slowly got up, stepping further away from the redhead. "Say...have you ever wondered where Witches come from, Madoka?" Madoka's eyes narrowed further. "What do you mean by that...?" Scarlet eyes lit up with amusement. "Gee, aren't you curious?" She pocketed the hourglass-patterned seed before pulling out a crescent Grief Seed, with music notes lining the sides. "See this?" She ran her tongue slowly along the top of her lips before it slipped back between her canines. "This here...is all that remains of Miki Sayaka's Soul Gem." She placed it against the ruby jewel in between her breasts, cleansing it of the impurities that had gathered during her battle with Homura. "Y'see, when Kyuubey gave us the contracts, he forgot to tell us a pretty important detail..." She tossed the crescent Grief Seed up into the air. "We ARE the Witches."

"...Eh?" Rose eyes widened to pinpricks, her body involuntarily moving back out of fear and confusion. "I...I don't believe you...w-why would Kyuubey lie to us about..." A sharp bark of laughter escaped the scarlet Magical Girl's lips. "Idiot! He lied to us about the whole hardware thing, didn't he? Why WOULDN'T he lie about us becoming Witches?!" She caught the Grief Seed in midair before proceeding to twirl it in her hand. "Anyway, that's not important right now."

"What do you mean, it's not important?!" Madoka grit her teeth, stomping forward again, her eyes burning with fury. "You just told me Sayaka-chan was turned into a Witch! And you, you just...you disrespect her by-"

 **"Kid. She's FOOD."** Scarlet eyes glinted dangerously. **"Magical Girls exist only to become Grief Seeds. Do you bother yourself by feeling sorry for the chicken you eat?"** She pocketed the Grief Seed once more. "Her body should still be in the train station, unless Homura moved it before coming to meet me." She whipped her head around to face the shorter girl fully. "She's a Grief Seed, too, by the way." She licked her lips in anticipation.

 **"So there's only one left now."**

"Only one...left...?" Madoka frowned in confusion, her shoulders tensing. She didn't like the tone of her voice.

 _"NO! RUN! RUN, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"_

"Only one..." Pink eyes widened with realization. "Y-You..." She trembled, stepping back. "You plan to...turn me into a Grief Seed, don't you...!?" The scarlet demon held out her hand to the side, bringing out her spear once more. "You catch on quick, Rosie." She sneered, swinging the weapon expertly before readying herself, leaning in just a bit. "Let's see how fast your legs move, hmm?"

Madoka stepped back. Her fighting instincts were telling her to brandish her bow and strike, while the other girl was still on the offensive. It was the only chance she had! But the human in Kaname Madoka, the fourteen-year old tenth grader in middle school, couldn't muster up the courage to power up her bow and arrow. After all, even though she hated the girl so much...

Magical Girls just didn't hunt other Magical Girls! It just wasn't right!

Since fight wasn't an option for Madoka, her legs opted to take the only remaining option: Run as far away from the redheaded demon as she possibly could, before her fear took hold of her legs as well. She whipped her body the opposite direction, her school loafers clacking loudly against the concrete surface, as she darted further and further away from the scarlet predator.

Fangs glinted menacingly in the shadows. **"And the hunt is on."** She lunged forward, blood and energy pumping through her legs as the redhead dashed at full speeds, spear at the ready to strike the pink-haired girl at any moment. **Of course, her aim wasn't to kill the girl. On the contrary, she wanted to build the girl's despair up as quickly as possible, so she could have the Grief Seed.**

 _"Why?!" Kyouko cried out, shaking her head in a mix of anger and agony. "You already have three other Grief Seeds you still need to use! Why do you have to go after her now, too?!"_

 **Why? Well, the answer was simple to that.**

 **It wasn't a matter of cleansing her Soul Gem anymore.**

 **She just had to have them all.**

* * *

"Hahh...! Hahh...!" Madoka breathed heavily, her lungs threatening to leap out of her throat and all over the pavement. Even though she was fairly fit, and had become rather seasoned as a Magical Girl, the rate at which she'd had to keep running, to stay far enough away from the redhead, was pure torture for her. The wind bit against her peachy skin; her nails bit into her flesh from the tension she had in her fingers. It was clear to her that Sakura Kyouko gave her pure, unadulterated fear. She'd never felt such raw terror towards anything else in her life before...

Even when she and Sayaka had been held up by those cotton ball familiars...

Even when they had to face off against that polka-dotted Witch with the razor sharp teeth...

There was something purely terrifying about finding herself at the mercy of an unstable seasoned veteran Magical Girl. Even though she knew she could take on the girl - and had, on several occasions...the look in her eyes were completely different from before.

They had a look of pure insanity to them.

She didn't stop. She didn't look back. Even as she darted past the truant officer to her school and heard him calling out for her to stop; even when she heard the whistle of a police officer as he was being waved over to help deal with the matter. The thrashing of objects behind her and the restless clacking of boots behind her strengthened her resolve to keep running, even as she heard the screams and cries of people falling back from the impact.

"H-Hey! That girl's being chased by another girl in cosplay!" The truant officer cried out, getting back to his feet. The police man nodded, pulling out a radio and bringing it to his lips. Before he could press the call button and alert his comrades of the situation, a red light pulsed through the two of them, leaving them stunned for a moment, before shaking their heads, returning back to their regular duties, as if they hadn't witnessed a middle schooler being chased by a rabid redhead.

* * *

School loafers stamped against the soft grass underneath. The elevation had changed; they were heading more uphill, now. She couldn't allow herself to slow down! Kaname Madoka grit her teeth with determination, pumping power into her legs before kicking off from the ground, leaping into the air at high speeds like a flea. Of course, she should have expected that the girl behind her wouldn't be slowed down by that. After all, she was an expert at high jumps. Landing on the power line way up high, the pink-haired girl continued her frantic run, sensing the shift of balance as the redhead landed close behind; immediately Madoka corrected herself so she didn't fall over.

Why?! What was the point of chasing her all around the city like this?! The redhead hadn't even thrown out any attacks since, even though she knew the scarlet female had her weapon at the ready. Madoka tensed herself, leaping off the power line and onto one of the windmills in the area, just at the very top where the propellers didn't reach. "That's enough!" She cried out, finally mustering the courage to pull out her weapon. Across the way, the redhead landed on the opposite windmill, at the very top. The pink-haired girl grit her teeth, pulling out her bow and readying an arrow to strike. "I'm not going to play your game, Sakura Kyouko!" She cried, fury burning bright in her eyes.

 **Interesting...the rosy Magical Girl's Soul Gem appeared to be affected more when she was angry and poised to strike than by the fear of death. Although, the adrenaline and fear from the chase did seem to have an effect on her, as well. "So you want a fight, eh? Just like when we first met."** She swung the spear around before resting it over her shoulder. **"Just warning you, I'm not gonna go easy like I did before. You're more than just someone in my territory, after all; you're my PREY."**

Madoka grit her teeth tightly, aiming her weapon straight for the female's Soul Gem. "I'm not prey that's going to go down so easily!" She cried, releasing her arrow with a silent prayer for it to hit the mark. The redhead leapt into the air, avoiding the arrow's impact with ease as she flipped towards the windmill Madoka stood on. Rose eyes widened with surprise. 'B-But she wouldn't be able to fit on here with me! We'll both fall!' Just as she suspected, the moment the redhead landed right in front of the petite girl, the two of them slid off the top and hurtled towards the grassy surface below. As they fell the redhead grabbed hold of the rosy female's hand in one grip, swinging her spear's blade into Madoka's arm with the other.

With a gasp of pain the pink-haired girl was thrown back by the impact, landing with a thud to the grassy surface on her own, blood pooling from her arm and staining the gentle vegetation. Her eyes widened with shock and fear at the hand missing from her left arm, leaving nothing but a bloody stump. She whipped her head up to face the redhead, watching as she landed in the grass a little ways away. Fear gave way to anger once more, and Madoka pushed up out of the grass, rushing blindly toward the scarlet female. She barely registered her Soul Gem was no longer on her finger and that she couldn't conjure up her bow and arrow; she just knew that she'd had enough of this redheaded demon, **she wanted her to die, DIE, DIE! "Grraggh!"** Madoka cried out, a guttural roar escaping her lungs as she swung out with her decapitated arm.

The redhead swiftly dodged the blow, eyes alight with amusement at how far the pink-haired girl was willing to go before she crumpled over in despair. **Or maybe, this actually was her rising despair? For the other two, it seemed to be more about giving up...yet, for this girl...**

 **"YOU MONSTER! DIE!"** Madoka snarled viciously, swinging another punch blindly at the redhead, at which the scarlet female dodged with ease. **Yeah...uncontrollable rage was this girl's despair...**

 _ **Just like her own.**_

 **"You can keep swinging all day, Rosie."** The redhead cooed tauntingly, missing blow after blow, glancing down at the once-pink gem embedded in the ring she held in grip. The color had changed from a soft pink rose to a sickly magenta. **She'd hit the mark. "I can do this allll day long..."** Her eyes narrowed darkly, a cruel smirk playing upon the catlike curve of her lips.

 **"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" Madoka didn't care anymore. Sayaka-chan was gone. Homura-chan was gone. They were all gone, all thanks to the disgusting, monstrous beast that dared to call herself a Magical Girl! She had to DIE! She didn't CARE what happened anymore, this girl just had to DIE, DIE, DIE! "YAAAARGH!"** She let out an ear-piearching scream of pure, raw anger, punching into the grass, into the air, into the space where Sakura Kyouko had once been standing just a second ago.

She couldn't do it.

She couldn't beat her in this form!

 **SHE...NEEDED...POWER!**

As if on cue, the gem in the redhead's hand began to crack, before exploding in a pink fiery inferno, throwing the scarlet female back. The space around the pink-haired girl began to shift and distort, until the grassy landscape had been replaced by a desolate wasteland, not completely unlike the wasteland she had seen in the skeleton Witch's own barrier.

The redhead landed with a thud to the dirty surface of the Witch's domain. It appeared less soft than the dark-haired Witch's domain; more rugged. She glanced up, her interest piqued. **What form did this seemingly sweet girl hide within herself to have rage be the key?**

A black toe landed on the surface, kicking up dust and dirt. The shadowy form of Kaname Madoka stood by, almost in a bowing position, one leg lifted up in the air. No, the redhead realized, that wasn't a bow. She was in a standing Ballerina pose. **"So, a cute little Ballerina...but there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"** Scarlet eyes glinted mischievously, her spear to the side as she held it outstretched. **"Madoka's so good...Madoka's so nice...but Madoka, ohhhh, Madoka's tired of being seen as the sweet little girl. She wants to scream. She wants to rage."**

 _ **"She wants to remind the world that she's not just some useless, little girl..."**_

For a moment, the redhead saw a younger mirror of herself, donning a beige hoodie over top of a small black elbow-length shirt, with faded denim jeans and worn red sneakers. The girl stared off to the sidelines, towards the murmuring of the townsfolk. In her battered hand was a bruised apple; one that she'd acquired from a great struggle, all for the sake of her family.

 _ **She would do whatever it took to help her family, even at the expense of her own innocence...**_

The redhead blinked in surprise at the vision, before shaking her head to chase the moment away. **"You're just like me, aren't you?"** She murmured softly, swinging the blade toward the shadowy Witch; in the corner of her eye, the cold body of Kaname Madoka lay face-first in the dirt and dust. **"You just wanted to do whatever it took for those you cared about to be saved..."** She shook her head slowly. **"But you don't get it. You never did. You didn't stretch deep down enough; and now, because of your limitations, the ones you cared about are dead."**

 _ **Blood streamed against the wood flooring of the old church. Sakura Kyouko stared, eyes wide and shaking, at the bloody spectacle before her.**_

 **"If only you'd just listened."** She watched as the Ballerina, wrought with rage over the wrong the scarlet demon had done to her, extended out her shadowy arm, wood-like in texture, towards the redhead. **"If only you'd just thought of yourself. You wouldn't have had to bog yourself down with worrying about others."** She swung out her spear, the blade tearing into the branch-like object; the creature's limb flung off to the side as it roared out in more anger. **"Because when it comes down to it..."** She kicked off into the air, segmenting her spear into a whip as she dove down, ready to strike.

 **"You're all you've got."**

* * *

The obsidian shell fell with a soft thud into the stained grass, a simple pink ribbon tied at the very top of it where it had once rested upon the girl's neck, when it had still been a Soul Gem. Red boots landed softly beside the object, recalling her bloody spear before kneeling down to collect her prize. Her latest prize.

 **Her...last prize...**

As if all the adrenaline had been sucked from her body, the redhead crumpled to her knees, eyes shaking as if she'd been awoken for the first time in an eternity. Sakura Kyouko stared with horror at the Grief Seed in her hand, as she absently reached for the others she had. Gently, she set them all in the grass in front of her, staring with wide-eyed horror.

"Mami-san...Sayaka...Homura...Madoka..." She choked, feeling acid building up in her throat.

"You've done well, Sakura Kyouko."

Scarlet eyes widened to pinpricks as she whipped her head around to face the source. "That voice...Kyuubey?!" She cried out, anger rising in her tone. "You made me do this! If you hadn't convinced me to contract, this never...none of this would have ever...!" She slammed her fist into the grass. "I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL ANYONE ANYMORE!"

White paws stepped softly through the grass as the small cat-like creature stopped beside her. "It is inevitable. A Magical Girl is always destined to hunt Witches - it is their means of survival. You have not done anything that could be considered out of the ordinary for a Magical Girl." Its eyes closed. "However, you have done a great service to us Incubators. Thanks to the massive spike of emotional energy from the Witches, you have allowed us to combat Entropy and meet our quota. It appears that Walpurgisnacht will not even be a necessity."

"Necessity...?" Kyouko glared darkly at the creature. "Service...?! How DARE you...you think I WANTED a life like this?!" She raised her head, eyes wide with fury. "I NEVER WANTED TO LIVE THIS LIFE! THANKS TO YOU, I HAVE NOTHING! THERE IS NOTHING TO LIVE FOR ANYMORE!" A feral growl escaped her lips. A red light surrounded her; the scarlet garb soaked with blood slowly faded away, leaving her in the ragged hoodie and shorts, her injuries stained right through the fabric.

On her finger, a dark gem, bloody-red in appearance, pulsated slowly.

 **"FORGET YOU ALL!"** She gripped hold of Kyuubey by the neck, squeezing tightly. **"FORGET THEM ALL!"** A crack formed on the dark gem, a bright ember forming from deep within, threatening to overtake her.

 **"JUST CURSE THE WORLD, AND LEAVE ME BE!"**

* * *

 _ **An explosion.**_

 _ **The smell of burning flesh and smoke...just like before.**_

 _ **Before...?**_

 _ **It was dark...she could barely see a thing.**_

 _ **Sakura Kyouko stared vacantly at the world around her. It was a grassy landscape...and yet, it wasn't. There was fog everywhere, and the whole world appeared to have a tint of greyish blue to it.**_

 _ **Wait...Sakura Kyouko?**_

 _ **Who was that?**_

 _ **The Wudan Witch glanced down at her hands. They seemed dainty, white like snow, yet clawlike in appearance...the white armor of her trusty steed seemed to captivate her vacant eyes for a moment; she'd seen that texture before, somewhere. She placed a claw over her face, feeling a sort of casing over it. A mask...fire burned bright over the top of it; her hair, she presumed, as it lightly ran along her head and against her cheeks like hair did.**_

 _ **Hungry...**_

 _ **To the side, as she glanced a little further, she could see the dead body of a redhead, bloody and burned, her clothes ragged and torn.**_

 _ **Hungry...**_

 _ **That girl wouldn't do her any good; there was no despair to feed off of. Surely, if she traveled further a little ways, she could find other creatures nearby that she could feed from.**_

 _ **They couldn't be that far.**_

 _ **And Ophelia was so...so HUNGRY...**_

* * *

 **A/N: Um. So...happy early Halloween, everyone?**

 **This was the direction it was going to go from the start. Unfortunately, once Ophelia had made the connection between Witches and Magical Girls, she wasn't going to stop until all the Magical Girls in the area had become Grief Seeds for her. But of course, it wasn't about the survival aspect of Grief Seeds anymore, was it?**

 **I apologize if I've offended anyone. This whole story was my theory on what would happen if Kyouko's obsession over Grief Seeds went too far, similar to how Sayaka's hangup over being a Knight of Justice went too far, or when Homura went too far with her obsession over protecting Madoka. Bottom line: The moment you obsess over something, you start to lose all reason.**

 **To those who stuck with me through this, I hope you enjoyed this story (for all its twisted craziness), and I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this. Now that I have finished this, I will also be working on other Madoka Magica stories I've been putting off (like working on Reflections or starting the alternate sequel I mentioned before), so if you're interested stay tuned, okay?**

 **Thank you for your time!**


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